City of Night
by MoonCheshire
Summary: "I will die for her if it means keeping her safe..." Sakura has been alone for most of her life until a mysterious boy collapses in front of her apartment building and she is introduced to a new and darker side of Manhattan. Pulled into the vicious politics of the supernatural and made into something barely human, Sakura must learn to accept her new self and survive the war to come
1. Chapter 1

Sakura burst through the double doors of her apartment building's tiny lobby to escape the rain pounding the pavements of Manhattan outside, a puddle of rainwater gathering around her sneakers as she caught her breath with her hands on her knees and her back arched forward toward the dirty, tiled floor.

Completely soaked, she attempted to wring the water out of her long pink hair before walking to the single elevator that would take her to her apartment on the very top floor. She focused on the familiar, peeling paint on the walls, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator to come down, adjusting the strap of her satchel on her shoulder.

When the elevator finally reached the ground floor, Sakura stepped inside and winced at her dishevelled appearance in the mirrors that surrounded her as it took her to the top. The elevator rattled violently as it came to a stop but Sakura was used to it and, paying it no mind, stepped out and hurried to her apartment, unlocking the front door with the key she kept around her neck and closing it behind her before locking it again once she was inside.

She dropped her satchel by the door and walked to the bathroom, pulling off her faded, grey hoodie and leaving wet footprints as evidence of where she had walked. By the time she had finished showering and had replaced her soaked garments with dry ones, the rain had stopped but the dark clouds still bathed the city in darkness, making it look a lot later than only 3pm.

Her parents weren't home, as usual, and she sighed in resignation when she found another note on the fridge door, explaining where they had gone and when they'd be back, before she crumpled it up and let it fall to the kitchen floor with a familiar empty feeling in her chest.

Sakura tucked her still-damp hair behind her ears and walked to the living room window and gazed out the window at the pavement below. The streets were cast in grey and empty because of the rain and Sakura could see the powerful cracks of lightning far off in the distance.

_Pretty_, she thought with a small smile as the clouds lit up in many different colours like paint on a canvas. She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts and frowned when someone dressed in dark colours ran across the street to the pavement just below her, constantly looking behind him as though he were being chased and her eyes widened when he collapsed, just in front of her building.

Sakura watched the boy in stunned shock with her forehead and hands pressed against the window as her fast breaths fogged up the cold glass, urging him to get up with her mind but he remained still as the sky began to weep again and its tear fell on him.

She realised that he wasn't going to get up on his own, that the dark red pooling around him and mixing with the rain was blood, and that he was going to die if she didn't do anything to help him.

She bolted out of her apartment and flew through the elevator doors, pleading that the boy was still there as it took her down. She ran through the lobby and out the double doors and into the rain where the boy still lay there, bleeding to death, her bare feet scattering the puddles.

She gripped him tightly under the arms and dragged him across the wet pavement and inside to the elevator, almost screaming at how long it took for the doors to open before dragging him inside.

Sakura couldn't see the boy's face because it was hidden by the raven-black haired plastered to features because of the rain but she could hear his breath, ragged and faint. She dragged him to her apartment and lain him in the middle of her living room to look at his wounds.

Four, deep, bleeding claw marks raked across his abdomen, the fabric of his white muscle tee stained dark red and torn to shreds. Sakura pulled off the unbuttoned grey shirt he had on over the muscle tee and pressed it into the cuts to stop the bleeding. Once she was certain he was no longer in danger of bleeding to death, Sakura pulled off the muscle tee, revealing a lean and well muscle toned chest, and cleaned and disinfected the deep gashes before bandaging them up and drying the boy with a towel.

She lifted him onto her old sofa and covered him with a blue blanket her mother had given her for her birthday a few years ago, before tucking the wet hair plastered to her face behind her ears and going to her room to change into a new set of dry clothes. She settled on a pair of grey sweatpants and a white tank top and dried her hair before returning to the living room to check on her patient.

His breathing had evened out and Sakura parted his long, ebony fringe to the sides of his face to check his temperature, finally revealing his face to her.

_What a beautiful face_, she thought, smiling gently as he exhaled in relief at the feel of her warm hand on his ice-cold brow.

His features were perfect, almost angelic and of course, framed by that coal black hair. His skin was fair, pale almost white and Sakura regarded how satin smooth and completely unblemished it was with amused envy but her thoughts were constantly drawn to his wounds. Who had raked him like that? Who had he been running from so desperately? Sakura didn't know but she would make sure that she found out when the boy woke.

She patted his cheek reassuringly. "You'll wake up," she told him softly before going to her kitchen to have an early dinner. Searching through the fridge, she decided on leftover noodle from the Chinese Takeaway nearby and ate in silence as her patient remained unconscious.

A normal seventeen year old would have had homework to do that Tuesday night, but Sakura didn't go to school. Her parents couldn't afford it and honestly, school was just another would-be stress in her life that she definitely did not need.

She threw away the noodles' packaging when she was finished and wet a cloth with cold water from the kitchen sink before returning to the living room and holding the soaked cloth over the boy's mouth. She squeezed and cool water fell onto his parched lips. She waited expectantly and watched with satisfaction as they parted slightly to allow more water through. When the cloth no longer held any water, Sakura put it away and checked the time.

5pm and she already felt tired. She moved to the window behind the couch with the best view of Manhattan and practised her gymnastics and contemporary, moving fluidly and gracefully as she made use of the space between the window and the sofa. This was how she stayed lean and slender and physically fit.

She continued her graceful movements for an hour until the sky turned black and the city lights lit up the world.

Exhausted, Sakura went to her room and pulled the duvet from her bed and took her pillows to make a bed on the floor of the living room so that she would be close to her patient in case he needed her. She curled up comfortably on the floor after brushing her teeth and washing her face.

_I better get a thank you_, was all she thought before sleep took her.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sakura woke up on Wednesday morning at 7am. Her patient had remained unconscious all through the night and he was still unconscious now when she woke up.

Deciding she wasn't hungry and not bothering to change out of yesterday's clothes, she returned the duvet and pillows to her real bed and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and to brush her soft, waist-length hair before grabbing her sketchpad and pencil from her bedroom and returning to the living room.

She put the sketchpad down on the floor before going to the kitchen to wet another cloth and this time, as her patient drank, his eyelids began to flicker and she realised that he would finally wake soon.

After returning the cloth, Sakura sat cross-legged and parallel to the couch and started to sketch. She sketched a girl dancing, frighteningly thin but beautiful at the same time, both happy and sad at the same time, taking extra care with the details in the girl's large eyes. The girl danced in a house that was breaking down, decaying and crumbling but even that, in a way, was beautiful too.

Her pencil froze when she heard a soft groan coming from the sofa and her patient's eyes finally opened. They were the colour of obsidian, dark and beautiful like the girl in her drawing.

At first, he watched the ceiling with a blank expression on his angelic face as he registered where he was but realisation soon dawned on him and his eyes scanned the room; when they fell on Sakura the boy went rigid.

Sakura smiled reassuringly. "Good, you're finally awake." Her gaze dropped again as she continued sketching. She heard rustling as the blanket she had given him shifted.

"Where am I?" he asked wearily, sitting up and wincing at the pain of his bandaged wounds. Sakura looked up from her sketchpad to see him watching her closely with hard, obsidian eyes.

She shrugged. "You're in Manhattan." His lip curled upwards slightly with annoyance at her bland answer. "_Where_ in Manhattan?"

"Well, this block's called Konoha," she offered, purposefully ignoring the icy and condescending look he was giving her, as she put down her sketchpad and pencil again before standing to get fresh bandages from the bathroom. "Don't move or you'll reopen those wounds."

The boy watched her silently as she returned and knelt down next to him, bandages in hand.

"I'm going to need you to let me change those," she told him, indicating the slightly bloody bandages strapped around his torso, "Okay?"

"Hn," he muttered but nodded his head in allowance.

"Do you remember what happened?" she asked as she worked, frowning with surprise when she felt that his skin was still ice-cold. Surely his temperature would have regulated by then?

The boy flinched as the bandages came away from the four, raw gashes but they had closed up nicely and Sakura hummed with approval as she replaced the old bandages with new ones.

The boy sighed. "I don't remember much, just running and a horrible pain here," he gestured at where his wounds were before continuing. "I fell in front of a building, I think it was raining. Then I woke up here." Sakura finished the bandages and stood up to assess her work while her patient watched her suspiciously. "And what part do _you_ play in all this?" he demanded and Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Well, I think it's pretty obvious but you collapsed outside my apartment building. You would have died from blood loss if I hadn't seen you and brought you here," she told him, moving to throw the bloody bandages away, "In other words. I saved your life," she called over her shoulder.

Silence followed her explanation for a while as she threw away the bandages and returned to sitting parallel to the sofa before continuing her drawing.

"Thank you," he murmured and Sakura looked up to see him watching her again with a gentler expression than the icy, hostile one he had worn before. "Most humans wouldn't have done what you did."

Sakura shrugged and dropped her gaze back to the sketch on her lap. "I'm almost always alone so I know what it's like to not have anyone around when you need someone." The boy raised an eyebrow curiously. "You live here alone?" Sakura put the drawing down again and lay back on the floor, gazing up at the ceiling. "I might as well be, with all the time my parents spend here."

She didn't know why she was telling all of this to a stranger but it felt oddly comforting to know that he was listening to her.

"How old are you?" She could feel his eyes on her again but she kept her gaze trained on the ceiling. "Seventeen. How old are _you_?" There was a pause, almost as though he had to think about it before answering. "Seventeen."

"How coincidental," she teased.

"Hn."

xxxxxxx

"Dammit, Sakura!" he hissed as she poked him once again with the silver sewing needle. "I thought you _knew_ how to sew."

"I _do_. _You_ just keep moving so hold still," she chided as she stitched up the four rips in his muscle tee. "Are you _sure_ you don't remember who did this to you?" she asked seriously.

"I told you I don't."

"Yeah well, for some reason I don't believe you," Sakura muttered as she finished the last stitch. "You almost _died_, Sasuke." Even when standing, Sasuke was still a good foot taller than her and she had to tilt her head to look at his face properly. "You don't just forget things like that."

"I don't remember," he repeated sharply and Sakura knew to leave it at that.

"Okay, okay," she said giving up and putting her hands up as she went to put the needle and thread away. "No need to lose your temper, _Sasuke_."

"_I am Sasuke Uchiha…"_

That name sounded like it carried some significant importance but Sakura shrugged it off. When she returned to her living room, she found Sasuke examining her sketch pad.

"You're very talented," he said before putting it down on the sofa and turning to her with his usual, reserved expression. Sakura bent to pick up his grey shirt from where she had discarded it the day before. "My parents don't think so. They just think I'm weird."

"I don't see what's weird about expressing yourself."

Sakura suddenly felt a strong sense of gratitude toward the raven haired boy and she grinned at him as she handed him the shirt. "No one's said _that_ to me before."

"Well it's true, isn't it?" he shrugged, taking the shirt from her and frowning at the dark blood stains on it. "What happened to it?"

"I used it to stop the bleeding," she replied apologetically, "Sorry." He gazed at it blankly. "I see."

"Shouldn't you tell your parents you were attacked?" Sakura asked, feeling an odd sense of dread in the pit of her stomach as her eyes fell on the blood stains.

"I doubt they'd care much," he answered with disinterest, turning to look outside the window. "It's raining again."

"Won't they be worried that you didn't come home last night?" Sakura pressed but Sasuke answered in the same disinterested tone. "I highly doubt it."

"Okay…" Sakura trailed off, not sure of how to respond. "Hey," Sasuke gave her a lopsided smile and put a hand on her head. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm just a stranger."

Sakura frowned. "You stopped being a stranger when you told me your name." Sasuke's smile was replaced by a blank mask as he turned back to the window. His expression darkened as his hand dropped from her head and lightly brushed her cheek accidentally in the process, still cold as ice.

"I wonder," he murmured…

xxxxxxx

The rest of the day passed quickly with Sasuke helping Sakura clean up her small apartment like the true friend she had never had before. He didn't seem inclined to leave just yet and she was happy with that, not feeling inclined to ask him to leave either. But Sakura noticed how his behaviour started to change a few hours before sunset and asking him about it had only led to him giving her cold looks and shrugging it off before hastily changing the subject to something more innocent. _Odd_, she thought to herself.

Sakura looked out the living room window at the darkening sky outside. "Shouldn't you go home, Sasuke?" he looked at her curiously but she noticed that his face looked strained. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No," she said quickly with an apologetic smile, "To be honest, it's nice to have someone here other than my parents. Stay as long as you want."

Sasuke turned his attention back to the window. "Hn."

Sakura noticed that his already pale skin was a shade paler, and that his hands were faintly shaking. His jaw was clenched tightly as he watched the twinkling lights of Manhattan on the other side of the glass. "Sasuke-"

"How long have I been here?" He cut her off, turning and looking at her with slightly wild looking eyes, his voice strained. Sakura took a nervous step back, not used to him acting this way. "Just over twenty-four hours." Sasuke was usually calm and collected, reserved at best, and this one reminded her oddly of a drug addict who hadn't had their fill of drugs for a while.

"Four days," he muttered, holding his head in his hands and leaning heavily against the wall.

"Sasuke," Sakura said with concern, "What's wrong? Is it your wounds? Do you feel sick?"

"You can't _begin_ to imagine how I feel," he hissed in response, his hands fisting in his hair tightly as he sank to the floor with his back pressed against the wall. He groaned and Sakura knelt beside him and placed a hand on his arm. "If you'd stop being so cold and help me to understand, Sasuke. Tell me what's wrong and I'll do my best to help you." He froze, and after a short while, slowly lifted his head and gazed at her with desperate eyes, clouded over with something Sakura couldn't identify. These were not the eyes of the boy she had rescued from the rain.

"Sakura," he rasped huskily in a voice that made goose bumps rise on her arms, from fear or not she was unsure. He sat up on his knees and pulled her closer to him so that his lips hovered barely an inch over her neck. "I'm going to ask you to do the unthinkable for me."

Sakura froze at the feel of his cool breath on her skin. "What do you need?" she asked in a small voice that trembled slightly, to her annoyance. The last thing she wanted was to look weak in front of this predatory version of Sasuke.

He pulled his head up quickly and looked at her with wide eyes. Multiple emotions danced through them in a matter of seconds, too fast for Sakura to identify them. "You're afraid of me," he whispered, jumping up and moving away from her to the far end of the window. "Dammit!" His voice was anguished and filled with self-loathing as he turned his back to her, the shaking in his hands more pronounced.

"Why _now_?!" it was almost like he was fighting a battle in his head, against himself.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispered, stunned. She _wasn't_ afraid of him, Sasuke was her friend. She stood slowly and walked to him. She tugged on his arm to get his attention. He was her only friend, the first person she had met that seemed to actually understand her and how she felt. She wasn't going to just let all of that disappear. He tensed at her touch.

"Tell me what you need," she pleaded and her breath caught in her throat as he turned to look at her with wild, feral eyes that glowed red with three black commas around his pupils.

_Those eyes_, she thought and in one quick movement, his lips were by her ear and his hands holding her hips. Sakura held her breath, willing herself not to panic and willing herself to not be afraid.

"I need," he murmured, his breath sending shivers down her spine. "Your blood."

"My blood?" she breathed, shocked as the realisation hit her, but unsurprised because she had already suspected what he was. "That means you're-"

"A vampire," he muttered with disdain, his tone suggesting that it was something foul and repulsive. Sakura couldn't see his face, but she was sure his expression would be stony. She could feel his body trembling against hers. "You and I formed a bond when you decided to save my life. I can no longer drink the blood of another human. Only you, Sakura, but of course, it's your decision. I cannot take it by force. That would be against the laws of my kind." Sakura's hands wrapped themselves around his arms with her hands gripping the back of his shirt tightly as she buried her face against his chest, breathing in his scent, earthy and masculine and completely familiar to her now.

"Take it," she breathed, coming to her decision. "Take my blood, Sasuke. You can have it." She wasn't going to lose him just yet. She needed someone, other than her parents in her life.

"Are you sure?" he asked softly, his hands moving from her hips to her waist, pulling her closer. Sakura had never been so sure about anything in her life. "Yes."

"I promise it won't hurt," he murmured softly and Sakura felt two painless pricks between her neck and shoulder before she blacked out.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Sakura groaned sleepily as she woke on her couch and the memories of what had happened before her blackout returned to her.

She gasped as she sat up quickly, forgetting how tired she was and searching the room frantically. "Sa-"

"I'm still here, Sakura, it's alright," Sasuke said calmly, sitting in the same spot she had been sketching only the day before, with his head resting against the wall and his obsidian eyes fixed on her. He was wearing the grey, unbuttoned over-shirt again, now stain free from Sakura having bleached it earlier during the day.

"You bit me," she stated, brushing the two small scabs that had formed over where his two fangs had pierced her. The skin there felt raw, the flesh bruised and tender to the touch.

"Yes," he replied uncertainly, almost looking _worried _at what she might think or say. "Do you feel better?" she demanded, watching him closely for any hint of his strange behaviour from before he had bitten her, feeling happy that he was acting normally again.

"You're more worried about _me_ than _yourself_ right now?" Sasuke looked at her incredulously, sitting up straight. "A vampire just bit you and _drank your blood_ and you're still worried about me?" He frowned at her, leaning forward with narrowed eyes. "I don't know if you're just amazing or just really stupid."

Sakura rolled her eyes as she threw her legs over the side of the sofa. "Did you want me to just let you _die_ of thirst or whatever you call it?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her sarcasm. "I did what had to be done. And like you said," she smiled at him. "We bonded. It's what friends do."

"Hn," he replied, but he smirked and Sakura noticed that he looked very attractive when he did, and it sent tingles down her arms.

"I'm curious though," he said in a low voice that made the hairs on the back of Sakura's neck prickle, standing and walking slowly to the sofa before kneeling in front of her so that she needed to tilt her head to look down at him, her long hair curtaining both their faces. "It didn't take you much time to make up your mind."

"Well," Sakura said, suddenly self-conscious and trying to hide her blush with her hair. "I care about you and seeing you in pain like that…" she trailed off uncertainly but her breath hitched when he rose and kissed her forehead gently. "Thank you, Sakura," he murmured as she looked up at him with large, green orbs.

He made his way to the front door as Sakura watched him with large green eyes, too stunned to speak. "That's all I needed to hear. It's still night so I have to leave now but I'll be back tomorrow. There are things in this city that you need to see now that you know of my kind's existence. Goodnight, Sakura."

The door closed softly behind him and Sakura fell back onto the couch, suddenly feeling exhausted. Her limbs were heavy and her movements lethargic.

_A side effect of being bitten_, she thought, noticing how empty and lonely her apartment felt without Sasuke there. _Sasuke the vampire. Sasuke's a vampire_. The same thoughts kept ringing through her mind as she glanced at the window over the top of the couch. Judging by the stars, she had only blacked out for a few hours. She lay back again and closed her eyes, ready to succumb to sleep once again.

_I just save the life of a vampire._

xxxxxxx

Sakura pulled on dark, denim shorts -frayed at the edges- her black combat boots and a bottle-green tank top with the Starbucks logo printed across the front. She slung her satchel over her shoulder and locked her apartment behind her.

It was 12am and the air outside was fresh and pleasantly cool and it still had that after-rain smell that Sakura loved. The blood on the pavement was gone, just as it had been gone in the lobby, in the elevator and even outside her apartment.

It was Thursday. Most people her age would be in school but Sakura had other plans, and she, for some reason, doubted that vampires went to school.

It took her an hour of walking, but Sakura made it to the abandoned railway station on the edge of Suna, a few blocks away from Konoha. Gravel crunched loudly under her boots as she trudged amongst the carriages. She barely noticed as the hours went by.

This was one of the only places in Manhattan where trees and grass grew naturally and Sakura loved and couldn't help feeling drawn to the wild and untamed atmosphere that surrounded the place. Overgrown grass grew between the tracks and the trees grew against and even _through_ some of the carriages, shading the area prettily.

Soft, wild rabbits and other small animals scattered as she approached and she felt the natural urge to just grab one and cuddle it.

She giggled and crouched onto one knee, digging through her satchel and producing a small piece of meat before holding it out, in the palm of her hand, to the only animal that didn't run from her. A fox with bright red, fur and sharp, intelligent eyes. She had visited the tracks too frequently for it to be afraid of her, but it had always kept its distance whenever she had offered it food.

This time was different, and it approached slowly and cautiously before quickly taking the meat from her outstretched hand, to Sakura's delight. Sakura waited for it to finish eating before slowly extending her arm further. The fox made no move to run away and Sakura gently stroked its silky head affectionately and scratched its ears. "So you trust me now huh?" The fox watched her with bright blue eyes.

She stood and continued walking, the fox padding lightly beside her.

"It finally came to you." The voice was dark and quiet and Sakura froze with surprise. She had been sure that she was the only person that ever really came here. The fox turned and Sakura did the same and there, watching her from the shadows of one of the carriages only a metre away, was a boy with hair as bright a red as the fox standing beside her.

"Oh, hey," she smiled and waved, recovering from her initial shock. "Been there long?"

"The fox," the boy said quietly, his sharp, pale-blue eyes searching her, "It trusts you." Sakura nodded and sat with her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her knees, curious of the stranger. "_You_ don't seem to though," she teased, "You look pretty suspicious of me."

"It is only natural for one to be suspicious of strangers," he replied dryly and Sakura guessed he would have raised an eyebrow, if he had one. It was odd for Sakura to see someone so young without eyebrows but she could also see that this boy was every bit as handsome as Sasuke was, only in a more unique way. She liked the way his pale skin, identical to Sasuke's, contrasted with his hair and the way his eyes were almost translucent.

"Yeah, I suppose," she murmured in answer to his statement, trying to make out the rest of him concealed by the darkness.

"I do trust you though," he said softly, shifting closer to the archway of the carriage so that she could _just_ make out what he was wearing, dark jeans and a dark, cherry-red t-shirt that hugged his muscled torso in just the right way. "I decided that when that fox decided to deem you trustworthy, I would do the same."

"Do you _live_ here?" she asked incredulously, surprised that he hadn't revealed himself to her sooner when she had visited there before. "Only during the day," he answered, "I spend my time elsewhere at night." _Vampire_, was her immediate reaction but she kept it to herself. "That sounds lonely," she admitted honestly and he watched her closely. "Your eyes say that you've experienced this loneliness too."

Sakura's eyes widened with surprise and she smiled sadly as the fox nuzzled her arm. "I know the feeling all too well so you're not the only one." _Another person that understands me_.

"You do not need to explain yourself. I will not pry," he murmured and lay down along the floor of the carriage and closing his eyes. He didn't say anything more and Sakura stood to stretch her legs and quickly pulled her hair into a loose braid to keep it out of her face. She doubted he was sleeping and trudged over to the carriage. "I'm Sakura. Sakura Haruno." She said cheerfully when she reached the carriage's wide, square arch.

"Gaara no Sabaku," he answered, opening one eye to look at her curiously. "You knew I wasn't asleep."

"Somehow I get the feeling you don't get much sleep," she told him, noticing for the first time the dark rings and shadows that framed his eyes. "You have the eyes of an insomniac."

"You're observant," he replied with a small smile and Sakura knew that that was probably something he didn't do very often. Sakura pointed to a spot next to him. "Mind if I join you?"

"If you wish," he consented and Sakura hopped into the carriage and lay beside him.

It was significantly cooler inside than outside and Sakura extended her right arm so that it caught the sun.

"That mark on your neck."

Sakura went rigid. She felt like someone had just thrown a bucket of icy water at her face. She realised that braiding her hair had only made it more visible, and that she had completely forgotten that it had been there. She moved to cover it with her hand but Gaara caught her wrist in an icy grip. "It's a bite mark," he said softly, releasing her and sitting up. Sakura did the same. She didn't want to lie to him and betray his trust so she just kept silent, angling herself so that she didn't have to face him.

"I know what a vampire bite looks like, Sakura." Gaara muttered and brushed the mark lightly with his fingertips and Sakura flinched at how cold they were. _Cold like ice, _she thought, remembering what Sasuke's skin had felt like. "You're a vampire aren't you, Gaara." Sakura turned to look at him again.

"Yes I am a vampire," he said with faint amusement, "But you knew that." He examined the bite closely and Sakura could feel his breath on her skin, cool like Sasuke's, which had the same shivery effect on her. "You felt no pain. You _knew_ the vampire that bit you."

"I'm not going to become one am I?" Sakura asked quickly and Gaara smirked with bitter amusement as he lifted his head again. "No. There is a ritual that must be followed before a human can be Turned." Sakura almost sighed in relief but stopped herself, worried that Gaara might be offended by the gesture but that didn't stop him from noticing her concealed relief.

"It is a lonely existence," he said, talking more to himself than Sakura, gazing out at the sunlight she assumed he couldn't touch, "One I would advise you to avoid, Sakura." When Sakura looked at him, she saw the memories of pain clearly in his eyes. She saw the memories of loneliness, darkness, hate, concealed anguish and despair, but she also saw strength and kindness and wisdom.

"What do you see?" He murmured, their eyes locking, and Sakura remembered the disgust in Sasuke's voice when he had said 'vampire'. "So much _pain_," she whispered back and he gave her a surprised look as she touched the kanji on his forehead. Sakura assumed that no one had ever done it before. "What does it say?" she asked as she traced the delicate lines, "I don't speak Japanese very well."

"It says 'love'," he replied softly, bemused, looking down at her in wonder.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked curiously, letting her hand drop to her side.

Just as Sasuke's had done, multiple emotions flashed across his face, but this time Sakura recognised all of them. She saw doors close behind his eyes as they became clouded over by his past.

"Why would you be so kind to a stranger?" He demanded, his voice was suddenly filled with confusion, anger and anguish, and he gripped her shoulders painfully. "Why would you be so kind to someone you don't even know?"

Sakura was stunned but she felt an ache in her chest when she imagined what he must have endured for her to have been able to see so much _hurt_ and _pain_ just by looking at his face.

She cupped his face in her hands and smiled at him, looking into his pale eyes that were desperately searching her for any hint of deception. "You stopped being a stranger when you told me your name. That's how bonds are formed, Gaara. Through kindness." His eyes became large, almost like he had heard what she had said before in another time. She watched as the doors opened again and his eyes cleared, his grip on her shoulders loosening.

The smile Gaara gave her was genuine as he released her and stood, offering her his hand. She grinned as she took it and he pulled her easily to her feet.

"You remind me of a friend of mine," He said and Sakura felt the ache fade and become replaced by a pleasant warmth. "He said the same things and he saved me from a life of pain."

"Then he is wise," she answered, adjusting the strap of her satchel and stepping out of the carriage and into the sunlight. The fox greeted her excitedly and Gaara watched her from the shadows but the look he gave her was understanding. "Farewell, Sakura Haruno. Until we meet again."

xxxxxxx

The sun was going down when Sakura return to her apartment and after dropping her satchel on the couch, she showered and sighed as the hot water eased the tension from her muscles. After drying her hair, she changed back into the clothes she had been wearing before and went back to the living room just as someone rapped loudly on the door.

Sakura went to open it and grinned widely at the raven haired boy leaning casually against the doorframe. "I hope you're ready to go."

"You know I am."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"You live down _there_?" Sakura frowned and raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the concrete staircase leading down into eerie darkness below the corner Leaf Street. "In the abandoned subway?"

"Under the city," Sasuke murmured, "It's too tempting to live up on the surface amongst the humans." Sakura followed him down the steps, feeling slightly nervous but more curious and fascinated than anything else as they were engulfed by cool darkness.

Instinctively, and without really realising it, Sakura found Sasuke's right hand and gripped it tightly. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and she looked down at their intertwined fingers with surprise, feeling a blush warm her cheeks. She was glad it was too dark for him to see it.

"Are you nervous?" he whispered as they walked down a long tunnel and Sakura squinted at the small speck of light in the distance, growing larger as they got closer. "Just a bit," she replied truthfully, "I guess I just don't really know what to expect." She could feel Sasuke's eyes on her, watching her closely. "But I am not afraid."

Sakura could see him smirk from the corner of her eye, his white fangs standing out in the darkness and she absentmindedly reached up to brush the bite mark with her free hand. Sasuke noticed and the smirk faded.

"Sorry," he muttered, his face grave and Sakura could hear guilt and regret in his voice. She squeezed his hand. "Don't be sorry. _I'm _not. I'm just happy I was able to help you." They had almost reached the light when Sasuke suddenly stopped them and released her hand to stand in front of her. His face was masked in shadow but the light behind him outlined him in gold and Sakura honestly believed that he could have been some dark and beautiful fallen angel.

He cupped her cheek with his hand and sighed as his thumb ran gentle circles across her smooth skin. Sakura felt goose bumps rise on her arms. They were standing so close to one another that she could feel the faint chill of his body and his cool breath tickled her face. She had never been in such an intimate position before but she felt like they could have just stayed there standing like that forever.

"You know, I wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't saved me a few days ago," he murmured, dipping his head so that his lips were only inches from the bite mark and Sakura sighed and rested her head comfortably in the crook between his shoulder and neck and wrapped her arms around his torso, closing her eyes and breathing in his familiar scent. Never had she ever felt so completely at ease around someone, not even her parents. He kissed the mark gently and hugged her tightly, nothing like the Sasuke that had bitten her only a few days ago.

As they pulled apart she felt his lips brush lightly against hers before he kissed her forehead and stepped aside for her to step into the light. "Your life is about to change, Sakura."

"No turning back now," she finished for him and stepped through the archway. _He kissed me…_

xxxxxxx

"This isn't a subway." Sakura gaped at the scene before her and she heard Sasuke chuckle behind her. "Welcome to the Hidden Leaf, Sakura." The archway had opened up onto a wide concrete balcony and below, a wide expanse of buildings and streets spread out before her. The high stone ceiling was decorated with giant, glowing green crystals that lit the place in a permanent twilight.

"It's a city under a city," she breathed, unable to look away and Sasuke chuckled again. "More like a _large village_. It's hardly big enough to be called a _city_. Follow me." Sakura tore her gaze from the sight below her and followed Sasuke down a long flight concrete stairs built along into the side of the balcony to the ground level, trying to take everything in. "I never knew this place was here."

"Humans aren't supposed to," Sasuke said matter-of-factly and Sakura frowned but dropped it, keeping close to him. People, _vampires_, stopped and stared curiously as they walked passed. Some gave Sasuke and her angry looks and Sakura tried to hide behind her hair, letting the long strands curtain her face from view. "Am I even _allowed_ to be here, Sasuke?" she whispered, feeling out of place.

"You aren't the first human to see this place," he told her reassuringly and Sakura immediately felt better, forgetting how out of place she felt and tucking her hair behind her ears. They turned a corner and stopped in front of a three-story apartment building, where a group of adolescents dressed in dark colours were gathered.

A slender brunette with two messy buns on her head caught sight of them and pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke, growling. "Sasuke! You told us you'd be here an _hour ago_! Wait," the girl froze when her translucent, brown eyes found Sakura and widened. "Oh my God. Is that _her_? Is that the _human_?"

Whispers broke out amongst the group and the brunette was a blur as she appeared in front of Sakura too quickly for her to register the vampire girl's movements properly. _Vampires are fast._ A wide and excited grin broke out across her pretty face, revealing her fangs, but Sakura could find nothing threatening about this girl.

"I'm Tenten!" She said excitedly, pulling Sakura away from an apologetic looking Sasuke by the arm and examining her thoroughly.

"Uh, I'm Sakura," Sakura replied, stunned at the Tenten's forwardness and _friendliness_. Tenten grinned at her. "Thought we were gonna eat'cha or something?" Sakura couldn't help grinning back at the girl's bubbliness. "Just a little bit." Tenten laughed and beckoned the others forward. "Come meet Sakura, you guys."

The vampires regarded her curiously except for two girls, a blonde and a redhead, that kept their distance and regarded her with hostility. Sakura smiled cheerfully while Sasuke watched his friends' antics with amusement.

"I'm Neji Hyuuga," a gorgeous boy with brown hair that was almost longer than hers and silver, pupil-less eyes, said politely, bowing and kissing her hand formally before moving aside for a pretty and willowy girl with eyes identical to his own and wearing a fitting, white-lace hoodie to introduce herself.

"I'm Hinata Hyuuga," she said softly and Sakura envied her waist-length, midnight-blue and purple hair. "And _I_ am _Rock Lee_!" A tall and lanky youth exclaimed with glossy black hair framing his head in an odd bowl-cut. "Do not be afraid because I will protect you with my life, human girl!"

"Oh shut up, Lee," Tenten rolled her eyes at him in exasperation, "Don't overwhelm the girl." Sakura laughed. "Thanks, Lee. I appreciate it." The vampire's eyes lit up as he made way for another very good-looking boy wearing a leather jacket with two red triangles under his eyes. "I'm Kiba Inuzuka," he grinned at her with feral and rebellious eyes that Sakura liked. "The fat boy's Choji Akamichi and the quiet on in the glasses is Shino Aburame. The dog's name is Akamaru." Sakura looked behind him and her eyes widened at the sight of the truly enormous white dog and Kiba smirked.

"I'm not fat I'm just _big boned_!" Choji wailed and Shino gave her a bland, "Hi."

"A human being here is so troublesome," a boy with a spiky, black pony-tail said in a bored voice. "But yeah, I'm Shikamaru Nara." Sakura took in his plain and uninterested appearance and guessed that he was probably a lot friendlier than he let on.

"Don't let him fool you," Tenten hissed into Sakura's ear, "He's crazy-smart."

"Okay," Sakura whispered back, figuring that that was probably the case.

"You're not going to introduce yourselves, Ino, Karin?" Sasuke said quietly and the two girls flushed and quickly stepped forward. Sakura heard Tenten growl as she brunette moved away to stand next to a stoic Neji.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka," the blonde said pompously, eyeing Sakura with disdainful blue eyes, "The redhead's Karin Uzumaki." Karin sniggered, "Nice hair, _cherry blossom_." Sakura regarded their dangerously revealing clothes and hostile tones and deduced that they were probably jealous of the attention she was receiving. She had met _many_ human girls just like them before. She put on a falsely sweet smile. "It's really a _pleasure_ to meet both of you." Tenten and Kiba sniggered while Hinata gave her a small smile and Sakura saw an amused look on Neji's face while Shikamaru smirked and Lee smiled obliviously.

The girls snarled, recognising the sarcasm and flashing their fangs, and Sasuke stepped between them and a startled Sakura. "That's enough." The girls' stances and tones changed immediately with Sasuke's intervention.

"Sorry, Sasuke. We're just not _used to_ having a human around," Ino simpered. "We weren't _really _going to do anything to her," Karin finished, batting her eyelashes and Sakura glanced at the disgusted looks on the faces of the vampires standing behind the two girls from over Sasuke's shoulder. _Just as I thought_.

"Sakura is _not_ to be harmed," Sasuke said warningly with narrowed eyes and the two girls nodded frantically. "Yes of course, Sasuke! We wouldn't _think_ of _harming_ her." Sakura highly doubted that for some reason but kept her thoughts to herself. Tenten snorted and Neji shot her a warning look.

"Time for the tour, Sakura!" Lee exclaimed, breaking the tension to everyone's relief. Tenten grinned again at Lee's enthusiasm and Sasuke nodded with a smirk.

xxxxxxx

"The Leaf is made up of and divided into clans and civilians," Sasuke explained as they toured the streets, the group making an effort to hide Sakura from the view of the older vampires. "Each clan has its own assigned compound," Tenten contributed, pointing at a fenced off area, "That's the Hyuuga compound. Neji and Hinata live there." Sakura eyed the luxurious townhouses enviously. "Wow."

They toured the village for an hour and stopped at a small café around the corner from the Uchiha compound. _Sasuke's compound_. To say that it had been huge was an understatement. Much like the Hyuuga compound, large and luxurious townhouses were fenced off from the rest.

All eleven of them sat on high-stools around a very large, round table. Sakura sat between Tenten and Hinata, parallel to where Sasuke was speaking quietly to Neji and Shikamaru. Lee, Choji and Kiba were talking loudly and the hostile looks Ino and Karin shot Sakura were replaced by infatuated ones when their eyes fell on Sasuke.

"Just ignore them," Tenten advised dryly, holding up her middle finger and earning a hiss from them, sipping at her glass of deer's blood like a human would a chocolate milkshake.

"Your hair is so lovely, Sakura," Hinata said admiringly with a soft voice and Sakura knew that she really liked the gentle, soft-spoken girl. "We could swop if you want," she joked and Hinata blushed and giggled.

"This probably isn't what you were expecting right?" Tenten grinned at her from over her glass. Lee nodded. "You're the first human to visit here in about twenty years. Not to mention that you know about our existence now."

"I just didn't think you'd all be so _friendly_," Sakura admitted, and Kiba winked at her, "Right back at'cha, gorgeous."

Sakura blushed. "And I figured that this place would be more _dangerous_ I guess."

"_Don't _think it isn't dangerous here," Neji said seriously, "_We _might be lenient about a human coming here but you'll find that most of the elders are highly opposed to it. The clans often fight amongst themselves, not to mention the conflict between the Hidden villages, and a human caught in a vampire war, is a dead one."

Seeing Sakura's expression Tenten shot Neji a withering look and quickly added, "But don't feel alarmed, Sakura. The clans have been peaceful for quite some time." Hinata nodded and spoke softly. "And you saved Sasuke's life, which makes you an ally to the Leaf."

"It's true," Sasuke said quietly and Sakura looked up at him and smiled. Karin snorted while Ino glared.

"Politics are such a _drag_," Shikamaru said with disinterest, "I try not to involve myself with them." Choji raised an eyebrow. "You don't really involve yourself with _anything." _Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Hinata giggled and Sakura and Tenten laughed.

xxxxxxx

"Can vampires do anything else? You know, besides being insanely fast and inhumanely strong?" Sakura asked. She had been curious after discovering that everything the humans believed about vampires turned out to be completely false and untrue. She didn't want to be ignorant any longer.

Kiba shrugged as they walked through a long-abandoned compound. "It really just depends on the clan you come from." Sakura was glad that she didn't have to keep out of sight anymore. This compound was abandoned, the group had assured her, and she could walk freely for the time being.

Sasuke nodded. "You saw my sharingan the night after you found me, Sakura." Sakura remembered his glowing red eyes with the three black commas. "That's something only the Uchiha can do. It allows us to create illusions and imitate movements and fight styles perfectly." Sakura would have never guessed that vampires could possess abilities quite like that.

"My clan can make themselves grow bigger," Choji said cheerfully. "Bigger than you already are?" Kiba sniggered and Choji growled.

"The Hyuuga clan possess the Byakugan," Neji told her, "That is why the Lady Hinata and my eyes look this way." Sakura nodded her understanding and looked at Ino curiously. "So do you also have a special power?"

"Of course I do," the blonde snarled, offended, "We all do." She smiled in a way that Sakura didn't like and her voice took on a malicious tone. "Except for you, little human." Karin sniggered at that.

"That isn't nice, Ino," Hinata squeaked and quickly hid behind her hair when Ino glared at her.

Sasuke intertwined his fingers with Sakura's, and Sakura immediately felt more at ease again. "The Yamanaka clan specialises in mind-control." He told her in a low voice and Sakura felt a warning instinct tug at her.

The group stopped when a dark figure approached them and Sakura's eyes widened when they fell on the stranger. He looked like Sasuke, with the same raven-black hair and sharp, obsidian eyes except that he was older and his hair was considerably longer and tied in a pony-tail.

"What is it, Itachi?" Sasuke asked coldly, letting go of Sakura to stand at the front of the group. Tenten came up beside her. "That's Sasuke's older brother. Itachi Uchiha," she whispered and Sakura nodded. It made sense that they would be brothers and if Itachi hadn't been older, Sakura would have been certain that they were twins.

_Twin angels, _she thought.

"I come with a summons from the Hokage," Itachi said to his brother, his tone just as icy and cold as Sasuke's had been. Sakura was amazed at how _human_ they all were, thinking back to earlier when she had first arrived. And the way Itachi treated his younger brother, the same as how her parents treated her.

"A summons for _who_?" Sasuke demanded icily but Sakura realised with a nauseous feeling that she already knew.

Sakura felt herself pale and saw the faces of her new friends go paler than they already were. She saw the unconcealed glee on Karin's face but the emotion in Ino's eyes was different as Sasuke moved quickly back to her side and held Sakura protectively. What Sakura saw in Ino's eyes went by only one name. _Hate. _

Itachi pointed at her, his hard, obsidian eyes boring into her. Sakura felt like a hare trapped in a spotlight, unable to look away from the dark angel standing before her. He looked at her in the same way Ino and Karin did. Without empathy. Like she was a bug that needed to be squashed.

"The Hokage wishes to see the human.'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Itachi led them in silence and Sakura gripped Sasuke's hand tightly, trembling slightly. What would the Hokage say to her? Had she done something wrong? Was she breaking some kind of ancient law by coming to this place?

"Don't look so afraid," Sasuke said in a low voice so that his brother wouldn't hear them. "It's what he wants. He believes humans to be inferior to us." He shot Itachi a withering look. Sakura nodded quickly and took calming breaths to stop herself from shaking but she couldn't stop the feeling that walls were slowly closing in around her, threatening to suffocate her and crush her.

They stopped outside a mansion, the tallest building Sakura had seen yet and Itachi looked at her icily. "This is where I leave you." He turned to Sasuke. "You know where to take her." Sasuke nodded stiffly and then Itachi was gone, a cool wind ruffled Sakura's hair, marking the direction he had gone.

Sasuke held the large door open for her and they stepped into a well-furnished reception area where a pretty woman with short black hair sat behind a large desk, sorting through paperwork. She looked up at them with large, dark eyes as they entered.

"Shizune," Sasuke bowed respectfully and watching Sasuke's gesture, Sakura quickly did the same. This was foreign territory and Sakura didn't want to make a mistake and make her situation any worse than it possibly was.

"Sasuke Uchiha," Shizune said, returning the gesture and looking at Sakura with a masked face. "And the human." Sakura nodded nervously and the dark haired woman turned back to Sasuke. "You know where she must go." Sasuke nodded, wearing the same masked expression and leading Sakura up a concealed flight of carpeted stairs to the left, behind the desk.

"Listen to me," Sasuke whispered urgently as they got closer to the top. "The Hokage is the leader of the Leaf. The most powerful vampire here, that's how she got the position." Sakura nodded quickly as she digested this information. "Address her as 'Lady Tsunade' and be respectful," he warned. "Lady Tsunade hates disrespect."

"Aren't you coming in with me?" Sakura asked, beginning to panic as they reached the top of the stairs. They ended at a short corridor with cherry-red walls and Sakura briefly remembered the colour of Gaara's shirt. At the end of the corridor was a set of dark wood double doors with golden handles.

"I wasn't summoned," he muttered darkly, "She wants to see you alone." Sakura paled and glanced at the door wearily. "Don't be afraid, Sakura," he said into her hair, hugging her. "Prove to her that you aren't weak because I _know_ you. You're strong." He released her. "I have to go now; I'll wait for you downstairs. Lady Tsunade doesn't like to be kept waiting. I believe in you."

Sakura waited for his footsteps to fade into silence before she approached the door. She knocked quickly and waited, holding her breath.

"Enter, human."

The wise, powerful and unmistakable voice of a leader. Sakura took a deep breath, willing herself to be brave and opened the door.

xxxxxxx

The woman sitting behind the desk was beautiful, golden-haired and golden-eyed, and Sakura didn't doubt that this woman was the most powerful vampire in the Leaf. Lady Tsunade regarded Sakura thoughtfully and beckoned her forward. "Come, human."

Sakura obeyed quickly and bowed respectfully, "Lady Tsunade." Tsunade returned the gesture with amusement. "What is your name, human?"

"Sakura Haruno," Sakura said, almost stuttering and cursing herself for being stupid. Tsunade chuckled with good humour. "How appropriate. Your name matches your hair." There was a twinkle in the Hokage's eye; like the vampire woman was encouraging her to speak and it made Sakura feel brave enough to ask, "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

"No," Tsunade said, intertwining her long, slender fingers and resting her chin on them. "Quite the opposite, Sakura. You saved the life of a member of the Leaf and," the Hokage gazed at the faded bite mark on her neck. "Sasuke Uchiha fed off of you. These things cannot be ignored, but I must ask that you keep the truth of our existence a secret. For if you fail to do this," Tsunade's voice took on a low and serious tone, "You will be eliminated."

Sakura almost choked on her own saliva. "_Eliminated?_"

"Try to see it through my eyes," Tsunade said, cocking her head slightly to the side. "One human knowing about our existence won't make much of a difference, but imagine if _all_ humans knew about us. They would shun us; hunt us, just as they did long ago in the past. It is my job as a Kage to prevent such a thing from happening."

Sakura nodded her head in understanding because to her, what the Hokage said made complete sense and she could understand why such a situation must be avoided. "I understand, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade examined Sakura closely and Sakura felt like the Hokage's golden eyes were looking into her soul and she couldn't look away. "You have a pure heart," She said with a satisfied smirk, "I believe you, Sakura Haruno."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as though she had just passed an important test. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"But there is one more important matter to be discussed," Tsunade said seriously and leaning forward slightly. "You will remain here until I see fit."

"But my parents-" Sakura couldn't understand why the Hokage's request didn't upset her, or even shock her. She was being asked to leave her family and her home and she didn't even mind. _Wow_.

"I will deal with your family," Tsunade said firmly. "I believe you have made acquaintances here already. You will choose one that is the most suitable."

"Sasuke," Sakura said automatically, without having to think about it and Tsunade nodded in approval. "I will notify his family about your new living arrangements. The Uchiha are powerful and more than capable of protecting you. That will be all. You may leave now, Sakura." Sakura bowed and headed for the door.

"Oh and, Sakura?"

Sakura stopped in the doorway and turned back to the Hokage. "Yes, Lady Tsunade?"

"If you are going to walk amongst vampires, you will have to learn how to fight like one. You will return here tomorrow at 10pm. Sasuke must be with you. If you are late, you will be punished. That is all."

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Sakura squeaked and shut the door quickly behind her.

She leaned heavily against the door, trying to sort through her muddled thoughts and to calm her furiously beating heart. When she had composed herself, she straightened and, feeling electrified, she almost skipped down the corridor and stairs to meet Sasuke.

He was waiting for her downstairs, just as he said he would be, speaking quietly to Shizune and when Sakura appeared Shizune smiled at her warmly, much to Sakura's surprise. The woman had seemed cold and indifferent when they had first met. "Lady Tsunade was impressed by you," the dark-haired woman said, and Sasuke smirked, looking proud.

"I didn't think she would take on a new apprentice after me," Shizune studied Sakura curiously, "Let alone, that it would be a human."

"Come, Sakura." Sasuke held out his hand, and smiling triumphantly, Sakura took it.

xxxxxxx

"She's _what_?!" Karin shrieked, "Lady Tsunade actually wants the human to _stay_?!" She made it sound like the most outrageous idea in the world. Ino glared in silence while they walked. The group had shrunk after the departure of Kiba, Lee, Choji and Shikamaru and they were now headed back to Sakura's apartment on the surface of Manhattan to fetch her belongings.

"I bet it's a dump," Sakura heard Karin snigger to Ino and Sakura silently seethed, doing her best to ignore them. Tenten heard too and smirked. "Well, it's not like your place is any different. I've seen it." Karin growled and went silent.

Sasuke and Neji walked at the front and Sakura guessed that they were probably talking about her, judging by the way they kept glancing at her, quietly so that she wouldn't hear what they were saying of course, but Sasuke smiled every time he looked at her and it made her feel pleasantly warm inside, like her body was somehow filled by warm golden light.

They reached the long flight of concrete steps that led to the tunnel that led to the surface of Manhattan. Sakura's world. The world she now had to abandon for a strange and newer world that was completely alien to her.

Excitement coursed through her veins at the thought of being able to finally have somewhere where she belonged, where she was acknowledged. _I'm going to be with Sasuke._ Sakura almost giggled with amusement when she realised that the only _real_ friends she had ever made in her whole seventeen years of being alive weren't even _human. _They were _vampires_. The undead. But Sakura knew that their friendship held more value than any human's, or at least the ones she had grown accustomed to.

"It's 3am," Sasuke said quietly, his steady gaze seeking out every face in the group standing in front of him. "Which means three hours from sunrise. Are you sure you guys still want to come?"

Tenten and Hinata nodded enthusiastically while Neji agreed with a slight boy of his head.

"We're coming," Ino said firmly and Karin nodded determinedly, though why _they_ would want to come to the surface was beyond her.

xxxxxxx

"So I was right, it _is _a dump," Karin commented bluntly as she looked around the small space, but the others ignored her and helped Sakura pack her things into cardboard boxes, not that there was much to pack anyway.

"We'll leave the boxes at your place," Tenten told Sasuke as she, Neji, Hinata and reluctant looking Karin and Ino headed out the door. "See you around, Sakura," the brunette grinned toothily with a wink and Sakura grinned back. Then the door shut, leaving her and Sasuke alone. The mood in the room sobered.

Sasuke walked over to the window behind the sofa and gazed out at the city lights with a grim expression. "I have a bad feeling about this, Sakura."

"I know." And Sakura _did_ know. Now that the others were gone and Sakura had gotten over the initial excitement of the night's events, she was no longer distracted from just how serious the situation she had gotten herself into really was. Her original sense of excitement became replaced by a cold sense of foreboding and Sakura walked to Sasuke and wrapped her arms around him from behind. She buried her face between his shoulder blades, breathing in his comforting scent as she attempted to calm her troubled mind.

"I've put you in so much danger," he murmured and Sakura could hear the pain in his voice and see the guilt on his face through the reflection on the glass. "I'm so sorry, Sakura. I never meant for this to happen. I just didn't want to keep any secrets from you."

"Sasuke…" Sakura shut her eyes and gripped his shirt tightly. "I don't care. If this is the only way I can be with you, then I don't mind doing this. I _want_ to be with you." _Because I think I might love you._

"You don't understand," he said and Sakura looked up, confused, "What do you mean?" Sasuke hung his head so that his fringe hid his face. "Sakura, I don't think Tsunade mentioned this to you and the others didn't tell you either, but currently, the Leaf's at war with the Hidden Rock." Sakura felt her stomach drop and her chest tighten as her body went cold all over. _At war? Vampires at war?_

"Vampire wars aren't like human wars," he continued in a low voice, "We all fight, regardless of how old we are, and we don't use weapons like guns. It's all hand-to-hand combat; we're strong enough for that." Sakura felt his body tense. "We fight in teams on the surface, undetected by the humans so as not to disturb the balance the Kages have fought to keep between our two species. And now Tsunade wants to train you to fight but that won't be enough, Sakura."

"Why?" she whispered into his back, finding it difficult to take all of what he was saying in and finding it hard to breath all of a sudden.

"Because," he said darkly, looking at her through the glass. "You're human."

_I'm human._ It always came down to the fact that she was human and Sakura hated that. "Then I'll become stronger, Sasuke."

"It won't make a difference," he muttered. "I nearly died in front of your apartment building because we were ambushed. Everyone in my team got killed and I barely managed to escape with my life. I would have died if you hadn't found me." Sakura was silent as what he said sunk in. Memories of the vicious wounds in his side and his blood everywhere made her shudder. His wounds would be healing by now, unless of course if vampires healed unnaturally fast as well then they would be translucent, silver scars already.

"Training so that I can have at least _some_ chance is the only thing I can do, Sasuke," she said quietly, releasing him and moving to stand next to him so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. His arm wound around her shoulders protectively, like he could shield her away from all these new dangers, but he kept his gaze fixed on the window. "I am as much a part of this as you and nothing we do will change that. I doubt Lady Tsunade will change her mind."

"Hn."

Sakura moved to go and finish packing up her bedroom before the sun rose and trapped them in her apartment until nightfall again but Sasuke caught her wrist. "Sakura," he said slowly and she looked at him with wide eyes, feeling her skin tingle at his touch. "I will give my life if it means keeping you safe," he said seriously, eyes looking deeply into hers, and Sakura could tell by his expression that he really meant it. Then he smiled and pulled her close. Sakura stopped herself from falling by wrapping her arms around his neck tightly as his wound tightly around her waist.

"I want to be with you too."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The corridors were dark and quiet as Sasuke led Sakura to her new room. The main Uchiha house seemed large and eerily empty to her. Her footsteps seemed to echo unnaturally loudly, disrupting the silence, while Sasuke's made no sound at all. Silver-green light streamed in through the uncurtained windows so Sakura wasn't completely blind and it was easy enough to see where she was going. Sasuke didn't seem to have this problem so she kept close to him and followed his lead.

Sakura thought back to when she had arrived at her new, indefinite, home as they walked, Sasuke carrying the last box of her belongings from her old apartment. Only his mother, Mikoto Uchiha, had met them at the gates, dressed in white lace with Sasuke's sharp, obsidian eyes and the same raven-black hair.

"_You must please forgive my husband and eldest. I'm sure they would have loved to be here to welcome you, but alas, they are in a meeting. Family affairs," Mikoto smiled gently, the smile of a mother, and Sakura heard Sasuke snort discreetly. Mikoto walked forward and took Sakura's hands gently into her own, cold, but the gesture was warm. "It's lovely to meet you, Sakura." The woman beamed, her dark eyes bright, and Sakura couldn't help but smile back. _

Sasuke stopped outside a door at the end of the corridor and disappeared inside; Sakura followed and froze in place. The room was beautiful, open and airy and lit by the same pale-green light from the corridor, a gentle wind blew in from the open windows and Sakura had never been in the presence of such luxury before. The walls were painted a pale blue, the floors covered by dark carpets.

Her belongings, still in their boxes, sat in the corner beside an intricate, antique dresser made from dark wood and the rest of the furnishings were made from the same wood, polished and unmarred. Sakura's eyes were drawn to the large double bed leaning against the wall to the left of the room, piled high with blankets and pillows. She fought the urge to just fall on it and let sleep take her.

"This is my room?" She asked in awe and Sasuke nodded and set the box down against the wall beside her. Sakura could see the faint dark lines under his eyes, but Sasuke hid his exhaustion well.

"You're tired, Sasuke," she said, feeling exhausted herself and reaching up to touch a cold cheek. He shrugged. "It's 6am. Most vampires go to sleep round about now."

"Then why don't you?" She asked, watching his face closely. He pulled her to him gently and his voice became muffled by her hair. "Will you be alright on your own?" Sakura nodded, more enthusiastically then she felt. "Of course."

"Hn," his voice was sceptical but Sakura knew he was too tired to argue and pushed him towards the door. "Don't make me _make_ you sleep," she said mock-threateningly before giggling and leaning tiredly against the doorframe. "I mean it though. I'll be fine." Sasuke rolled his eyes and leaned in to press his lips gently against hers; sending electricity through her veins but it faded when he pulled away and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Sakura."

"I think you mean good _morning_," she giggled but he was already gone.

Sakura yawned as she changed into the oversized, white tank top she always slept in with a pair of loose, indigo gym shorts and fell into bed. No bed she had slept in had ever been _this_ comfortable and she closed her eyes and drifted off.

xxxxxxx

"Good," Tsunade said as she finished inspecting Sakura, "You're both dressed for combat." Sakura looked down at her attire. Black shorts, black tank top, and her black combat boots. Sasuke was dressed in a black hoodie that had had the sleeves cut off to the shoulder and exposed his muscle toned arms, with dark jeans and black sneakers but Sakura doubted vampires needed to 'dress for combat'.

"If you don't mind me asking, Lady Tsunade, but why do I even need _combat training_?" Sakura asked and Tsunade eyed her wearily and sighed, glancing at Sasuke. "I know Sasuke Uchiha has already told you the reason why," Sasuke nodded and Tsunade looked at Sakura seriously. "We are at war, Sakura and you are the only human, as far as I know, that has known of our existence after the last one was killed in the twentieth century. You will be targeted." Sakura shivered at the thought and Tsunade continued. "That is why I had you stay here. It's too dangerous up on the surface now that word has spread of _your_ existence."

Sakura nodded, feeling suddenly cold, and bowed her head. "I understand, Lady Tsunade."

"Good," the Hokage said shortly, heading towards the door at a brisk pace. "Come."

Tsunade led them to a large clearing covered by dark, emerald-green grass, and surrounded by very tall _trees_, to Sakura's astonishment. A training ground.

"How did you manage to grow _plants _down here?" She asked Sasuke in amazement and he pointed to the ceiling high above them. "The crystals radiate sunlight from the surface, but in a way that doesn't harm us." Sakura couldn't help but stare wide-eyed as Tsunade led them to the centre of the training ground. The Hokage turned to Sakura. "You will need to get stronger first if you want to survive. You will fight Sasuke."

Sakura felt her stomach drop and saw Sasuke blink with surprise. Putting her against Sasuke would be the same as putting her against a giant bear, or a lion, or a _dinosaur_.

"Um, is that _safe_?" she stuttered, feeling her body begin to tremble. Tsunade snarled and bared her fangs viciously, her eyes flashing. "This is exactly the kind of weakness we need to eliminate!" she barked and the sound of the Hokage's growl brought goose bumps to Sakura's arms and legs. It had to have been one of the most terrifying and threatening sounds she had ever heard in her life. _This is why she's the Hokage,_ she thought dryly.

Sasuke gently took her hand and pressed his lips to it. "You know I would never harm you." Tsunade put her hands on her hips and narrowed her translucent, golden eyes dangerously. "Would you rather fight _me _instead?" Sakura shook her head quickly and grabbed Sasuke's arm. "Sasuke's fine." Sasuke chuckled and Tsunade smirked. "Excellent. Let us begin."

xxxxxxx

"Sakura, _duck_!" Tenten shouted and Sakura did, her head narrowly missing Sasuke's fist.

"Good!" Tsunade shouted, "Now do it again!"

Tenten, Kiba and Hinata cheered while Neji watched the fight with interest from the edge of the clearing as Tsunade barked out commands. They had arrived twenty minutes into the fight, which really only involved Sasuke trying to touch her while she evaded his attacks more fluidly and gracefully than her friends had anticipated.

Sakura knew that she had been faster and more agile than Tsunade and Sasuke had expected, but still not even _nearly_ as fast as Sasuke was, as well as her endurance and stamina being higher than an average human's. _Thank you contemporary and gymnastics, _

It was already forty minutes into the fight and she wasn't collapsing from exhaustion yet, but Sakura did notice that almost every inch of her body was coated with sweat, something that Sasuke lacked to her annoyance. _Don't vampires tire out?_ she panted as she arched her back backwards, her palms touching the grass as she propelled herself backwards out of reach. The toe of her boot connected to Sasuke's jaw and Kiba whooped loudly. 

"STOP!" Tsunade barked and Sakura froze before she collapsed forward as her legs gave out from underneath her. She could hear the sound of moving air before she was suddenly surrounded. "Are you alright, Sakura?" Hinata squeaked with concern and Tenten rolled her over onto her back so that Sakura could see all the worried faces, except for Tsunade and Sasuke who looked at her with grave understanding.

"So tired," she murmured, her eyes flicking over to Tsunade. "How did I do?" Sasuke frowned as he rubbed his jaw. "You landed a hit." The Hokage nodded with approval. "Yes. The whole point was to fight until one of you landed a hit. I was going to end it when you reached an hour but," she smirked with satisfaction. "I guess I didn't have to. None of the humans I ever trained were able to land a hit without first making use of Vampire Blood." Sakura heard the group gasp, which sparked her curiosity and unease. _Vampire Blood._

"You mean, you're going to make her-" Tenten began, shocked, before Neji silenced her with a look. "Do not question the Hokage's actions." Tenten pouted and fell into a sulky silence. Sakura noticed how serious they had all become as they looked down at her with grim expressions, even Kiba was serious. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, ignoring the burning ache of her arm muscles. "What are you talking about?" She asked uneasily and paled when Tsunade handed Sasuke a thin, golden dagger. "You know what you must do, Sasuke Uchiha." He nodded grimly and Hinata hid behind her hair. Sakura noticed that Tsunade's arm was bleeding; blood was seeping from a deep cut at the bottom of her wrist. A cut that would have killed a human. It dripped, shimmering red drops, into a small, golden goblet that the Hokage held in her uninjured hand.

She held it underneath Sasuke's arm and Sakura watched in confused awe as he slowly drew the dagger across his wrist, not even flinching as he sliced his pale skin open. His blood ran into the golden cup and mixed with the Hokage's. He passed the knife wordlessly to Neji, who did the same. Sakura couldn't bring herself to look away or break the silence that had fallen over the group as each vampire filled the small goblet until it was almost filled to the brim with shimmering red.

"The blood of six vampires. Vampire Blood," Tsunade said quietly, waiting for Sasuke to gently pull Sakura to her feet before handing her the goblet. "You must drink this, Sakura."

"What will it do to me?" Sakura asked in a small voice, handling the small cup like it was a sacred object, unable to take her eyes off of the shimmering liquid. She could feel all their eyes on her, Sasuke's most of all.

"It will make you stronger, faster and it will alter your humanity." Sakura had never heard Tsunade sound so serious. "Drinking this is the only way you will ever be able to stand a chance against the enemy. They are trained to kill without hesitation. But I must warn you," she said in a low voice. "This is going to hurt, Sakura. No pain will ever compare." Sakura felt bile in her throat and tasted metal in her mouth. _The taste of fear._

"It's to keep you safe, Sakura," Sasuke said softly, and Sakura almost dropped the cup when she heard the pleading tone in his voice and saw the complete sincerity and anguish in his dark eyes.

"Will I still be human?" Sakura whispered, feeling ice slowly spreading throughout her body. She felt numb.

"Of course you will," Tenten said firmly but Sakura could see the brunette's hands shaking. Sakura nearly jerked with surprise when she felt Neji's hand, cool, over her own and she found that it was oddly comforting. "It is a blessing, Sakura," he smiled gently and Hinata nodded as she wiped her eyes, also smiling. "Most good things come from pain." Seeing the silver-eyed girl smile made some of the numbness go away. Kiba grinned and ruffled her hair like an older sibling would do and Tenten took a shuddery breath and grinned toothily as well.

Slowly the atmosphere of the group got warmer and Sakura felt warmth spread through her when Tsunade smiled, her golden eyes warm with affection and the kindest she had ever seen the Hokage and Sasuke brought the golden goblet to her lips. "Do it, Sakura," he murmured and Sakura looked at around at the confident and encouraging faces of her friends. "We're all here for you." Sakura willed herself to be brave.

_I will be brave._

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and calm her furiously beating heart, parting her lips to allow the liquid through; it was smooth like velvet and tasted sweet, which surprised her. The instant Sakura swallowed the last drop of the Vampire Blood, her vision blurred. A strange and painful burning engulfed her heart and she could feel it spreading through each vein, tearing through every muscle fibre and stinging every nerve to the point where tears sprang to her eyes, but she couldn't cry out.

_I will not scream._

The goblet dropped from her hands as she fell to her knees, gasping as she lost the ability to move her limbs. The burning reached her thighs and Sakura toppled sideways. She could hear voices but they were obscured and fuzzy and Sakura couldn't make out what they were saying. Shadowy figures moved across her field of vision but Sakura couldn't even identify who was who anymore. Her veins were on fire and she twitched. The burning attacked her brain and her vision went white from the pain.

_I cannot scream_.

She could hear ripping resonating through her ears as she felt each limb rip itself from her body, she felt each finger break and then each toe. Her vision went black as her head was torn from her shoulders.

And Sakura screamed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sakura ran across the pale, white sand, soft and cold under her bare feet, the ocean wind whipping through her hair and white, lace dress and causing the sand to sting her bare legs painfully as she ran to the fallen angel in the distance.

Sasuke stood on the edge of the high cliff face Sakura was running to, his shimmering, raven-black wings brushing the sandy stone underneath his feet as he watched the waves crash violently against the black stone with cold and empty eyes. The sky above him was grey and overcast and the wind threatened to push him over the edge and into the dark, broiling water below.

Sakura stopped running, standing a metre away from him and watching his back, dazed, feeling almost as though _she _wasn't in control of her own body somehow. "Sasuke!" she called loudly to be heard over the wind and he turned slowly, the tips of his feathery wings scraping against the ground, and Sakura felt her body go cold when his obsidian eyes fell on her, icy wastelands, cold and unforgiving.

Sakura felt like she couldn't breathe. It was like he wasn't even _alive_ and he looked at her like she was a stranger to him.

"_Who are you_?" Ino's malicious voice rang through Sakura's mind as the blonde suddenly appeared at Sasuke's right and folded her black wings around him and herself, her smile was cruel and possessive. _"You're just a human."_

"_Cherry blossom_," Karin sniggered, appearing at his left and doing the same so that Sasuke was caught between the two in a feathery cloak and Sakura growled from low in her throat, vicious and feral and she was unsure of how she had even managed to make such a menacing sound.

Kiba and Neji appeared from behind the three malevolent figures and took fighting stances in front of them, their wings extending to the sky, baring their fangs and looking at her with the same cold eyes as Sasuke and Sakura took a frightened step back. _Strangers. These are strangers. _The same thought rang through her mind and Sakura inhaled sharply as her back came up against something solid. She turned and looked up into a pair of very pale-blue and darkly rimmed eyes.

"Sakura," Gaara said in a low voice, his tone grave and his expression weary. "Don't turn your back on the enemy."

"But, Sasuke's not the enemy," she said dumbly and Gaara growled. "Look at the colour of his _wings _Sakura." Tenten looked at her from over Gaara's right shoulder. "They're the enemy," the brunette said gravely and Hinata nodded from over his left shoulder. "Their wings are _black_." Her silver eyes were so _sad_, Sakura realised and she took a step back and gasped. While Sasuke's wings were darkly beautiful and black, Gaara, Tenten and Hinata's were magnificent and shimmering, silver-white. _The colour of purity. _Sakura's eyes were drawn to a dark, wet blood stain that had soaked through the fabric of Gaara's shirt on the left of his chest. Over his heart.

"Look again," Gaara said, and she did. Kiba and Neji snarled viciously while Karin cackled and Sasuke stared ahead coldly, making no effort to break free of Ino and Karin and Sakura felt her heart ache painfully.

"_He doesn't care about you anymore," _Karin's voice hissed in her head and Sakura felt a stab through her chest and heard Tenten growl. The three angels behind her spread out as Kiba and Neji did the same and Sakura felt soft rain start to fall over them as the waves crashed below. She saw more fallen angels standing behind Sasuke now, Itachi being one of them, black wings extended, but the rest were people Sakura had never seen before and didn't know. She felt all their cold, hard, eyes on her and she felt her blood run cold.

She turned behind her and noticed that there were more angels behind Gaara as well, also people she had never seen before but unlike the fallen, they watched her with warm eyes that were encouraging and comforting and Sakura stepped closer to Gaara and heard Sasuke growl from behind her.

"Until we meet again, Sakura Haruno," Gaara murmured and Sakura frowned with confusion, taking another step toward them. "What?" Both sides rushed forward, hissing and snarling, with Sakura caught in the middle as fighting broke out around her. She went rigid with fear as she heard the sound of bodies hitting the ground and turned frantically, looking for Sasuke. He hadn't moved from where she had first seen him and stood still, watching the battle indifferently while Ino and Karin smothered him. Sakura stepped towards them.

The wind picked up, shrieking in her ears and whipping her hair into her eyes and mouth, and wrapping around her neck, choking her while Karin and Ino laughed cruelly. The sand stung her skin and got into her eyes as Sakura fought to breath. She heard Gaara move towards her but he never reached her. _"I will wait for you, Sakura."_

"_Sasuke is ours!" _Sakura heard Ino and Karin shriek from somewhere behind her as she dropped to her knees, gasping for breath, before their voices dropped to snakelike whispers, dark and threatening. _"Only ours…"…._

xxxxxxx

Sakura's eyes opened as she inhaled sharply, images from her dream flashed across her field of vision and she screamed into the darkness surrounding her, still feeling her hair choking her and her lungs burning fro air. A strong hand covered her mouth gently, but firmly, strangely warm against her skin. "Calm down, Sakura. It's over," Sasuke whispered from beside her and Sakura froze.

Sasuke only took his hand away after her breathing had calmed and her shaking had stopped and watched her quietly, almost like he thought that it was too soon to speak and Sakura's eyes found his, feeling something in her chest start to build up, searching for that cold hate from her dream, but she only saw affection and concern for her in Sasuke's eyes and relief washed over her.

A sudden burst of electricity and energy surged through her, making her gasp and grit her teeth, starting from her chest and expanding until it fuelled the rest of her body as well and she sat up quickly, gripping her bed's headboard tightly to steady herself as she got used to the strange sensation, hearing the wood splinter slightly as all thoughts of anything else vanished from her mind.

"It worked," she heard Tsunade murmur in a low voice.

"Hn."

"This is unnatural," she heard Itachi say icily. "A human shouldn't be allowed to wield the abilities of our kind. It is an insult." Sakura's head shot up, the corners of her mouth curling upwards in a snarl, fuelled by a new and foreign instinct she had never felt before, and Itachi paled and retreated, muttering "it's unnatural," under his breath as he went and Sakura felt her nerves calm when she felt his presence retreat.

"How do you feel, Sakura?" Tsunade was beside her now and looked at her with large, golden eyes and Sakura removed one hand from the headboard and flexed her fingers. "I feel stronger." Tsunade smirked. "You _are_ stronger."

Sasuke looked at her seriously. "But you have to train in order to make full use of this new power." Sakura looked up at him and nodded, removing the other hand and pulling the blanket draped across her body away.

"I'm ready."

xxxxxxx

Sakura and Sasuke stood parallel to one another, back at the training grounds and taking fighting stances. Tsunade gave the signal and Sasuke charged, a blur, and reached her in seconds. Sakura ducked quickly as he lashed out and leapt backwards as his foot connected with her shoulder painfully. She growled in response, surprised that she was able to make such a sound and adjusted her stance.

"Evading again?" Sasuke smirked and Sakura narrowed her eyes competitively as he chuckled. "You know that won't work _forever_, Sakura."

Furiously, Sakura ripped a large branch off one of the trees as easily as if she were pulling a splinter from her skin, and flung it at him with all the force she could muster. He dodged the branch easily enough but the arrogant smirk was replaced as his expression became weary. He had underestimated her. He charged once again and Sakura continued to evade his attacks easily and fluidly and he growled with frustration as time wore on and neither of them tired. Tsunade had left them to train on their own, deciding that they no longer needed her there.

Sakura leapt right over him, backwards and he smirked again as he activated his sharingan, obsidian replaced by red and Sakura growled again as they circled each other, panting. "That's cheating, Sasuke."

"Tell that to the Hidden Rock vampires," he hissed and she snarled in response.

Sakura flung herself at him, knowing that it was probably the last thing he'd expect her to do. It was the last thing she expected _herself _to do and her new, incredible speed surprised her just as much as it seemed to surprise him.

The force of her sudden assault caught him off guard. She slammed into him, feeling the adrenaline and new supernatural energy coursing through her veins, and he staggered backwards, the expression on his face was stunned as they both tumbled to the ground. She sat up, straddling his hips, and drew back her arm, not even knowing exactly what she had planned to do, but she had forgotten how much faster he still was.

Instead of her fist slamming into his face, it hit his upraised hand and he wrapped his fingers easily around hers, forcing her arm back down with a smirk as he threw her off of him. "I win."

Sakura landed beside him and stared up, dazed, at the stone ceiling that supported the weight of Manhattan above them. "Wow. I can't believe I did that."

"You were incredible, Sakura." Sasuke murmured, turning his head so that he could look at her, and his cheek touched the soft grass. "_Are _incredible." Sakura couldn't help but notice that his voice sounded husky.

He slowly drew himself up onto his elbows. He looked down at her, and his expression had changed. There was a look on his face that Sakura had never seen before. He let his fingers trail down her cheek to her lips, delicately outlining the shape of her mouth with the tip of his finger.

"You should probably tell me not to do this," he said softly, obsidian eyes on her and her alone, holding her in a trance. "We're supposed to be training you for _war_."

Sakura said nothing; she didn't want to tell him to stop. He bent down and she felt his lips against her cheek, brushing her skin lightly, but even that sent shivers through her nerves. Shivers that made her whole body tremble.

"If you want me to stop, tell me now," he whispered, his cool breath sending tingles down her spine. Sakura still said nothing and he brushed his lips against the hollow of her temple. "Or now." He traced the line of her cheekbone. "Or now." His lips were against hers. "Or-"

Sakura reached up and pulled him down to her, making use of her new-found strength, and the rest of his words were lost against her mouth. He kissed her gently, carefully, but it wasn't gentleness she wanted, she discovered, and she knotted her fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against her. He groaned softly, from low in his throat, and his arms circled her and gathered her against him as they rolled over the grass, tangled together and still kissing.

There were stones digging into Sakura's back and her shoulder ached from where Sasuke had struck her during training, but she didn't care. All the existed was Sasuke. All she felt, hoped, breathed, wanted and saw was Sasuke.

And nothing else mattered…

Ino watched them from the trees above, silent as rage made her clench and unclench her fists, her sharp nails digging into her palms so hard that they drew blood, the corners of her mouth curled up in a silent snarl. Karin watched emotionlessly from beside her, her red eyes focused on the scene below them.

"This is getting out of hand," the redhead said in a low voice, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her delicate nose as the trees whispered loudly to one another when the wind blew through their branches and through the two girls' hair. "This cannot be allowed to continue."

"I think it's time, Karin," Ino said darkly as she composed herself, gazing down at the blood that seemed to form the shapes of red clouds on her bleeding palms before the small wounds quickly healed themselves. "It's time to bring in the Akatsuki."….


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sakura gazed at her reflection through her dresser's mirror, not recognising the girl behind the rippling glass. A serious and solemn Sakura gazed back at her, pale, porcelain skin and faintly glowing emerald eyes translucent, taller, leaner, _different_. Her eyes were solemn, but Sakura saw happiness there too, as she ran her thumb along the sharp point of her canines and felt the skin split and tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth. They weren't fangs, but they were too sharp and too long to be considered human and Sakura couldn't seem to look away from them. _Who is this Sakura?_

"You're beautiful, Sakura," Hinata said softly, sincerely, watching Sakura from the corner of the large bed with Tenten beside her, her silver eyes shining through the darkness of the unlit room and Sakura forced herself to smile and, seeming to read Sakura's thoughts, Tenten smirked. "She's _you_, Sakura. _You're _still you, you know."

Sakura sighed and gazed at her hand as she flexed her fingers with an unconvinced expression. "I'm not even sure if that's true anymore. What if," she looked up at them with large and worried eyes. "What if I can't find myself again?"

"There's no need. You aren't lost."

The three girls quickly turned their heads to the window behind Sakura, where Sasuke was sitting with one leg propped up and the other hanging over the ledge, watching Sakura with dark and thoughtful eyes.

"Been there long, Sasuke?" Tenten asked dryly with a raised eyebrow and Hinata giggled. The way he was looking at her made Sakura remember how they had kissed earlier on the training grounds and her hand subconsciously moved up to touch her tingling lips and she blushed when she saw Tenten wink at her and Hinata smile knowingly.

Sasuke moved agilely as he slid through the window and stood beside Sakura so that she could see both their reflections through the mirror. Two impossibly beautiful figures.

"Your eyes and mine are not the same," he murmured and Sakura could see it. His were like Gaara's, too solemn, too grave, too wise, too closed and too serious for a seventeen year old. She looked behind them, at the two vampires watching them from her bed and saw that their eyes were the same as Sasuke's, only softer and slightly more open. Sakura gazed at her own eyes and immediately recognized the difference. Despite sharing the same seriousness and solemnity of the vampires, Sakura's eyes were open, trusting, and they lacked the wisdom that could only come from being immortal.

"The eyes of a human, Sakura," he said quietly, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear affectionately. "Your humanity may have been altered, but it hasn't been lost."

"You're Sakura," Tenten finished with a toothy grin, making Sakura grin back as warmth and relief spread through her as though a heavy weight had just been lifted from her shoulders, standing and dragging Sakura away from the mirror and to her ornate wardrobe. She raised her eyebrow at Sasuke. "Why are you still here?" He blinked. "What?" Sakura watched in confused silence as Tenten placed her hands over her hips and pointed with her thumb over her shoulder at Sakura behind her. "She needs to change for the Council tonight," the brunette snapped before smirking and raising her eyebrow suggestively and making Sasuke frown. "Unless you want to help her change, Sasuke." Sakura blushed furiously, unable to make any sound, and saw Sasuke go rigid before muttering, "Hn," and disappearing back through the window. Sakura was certain she had seen a blush on his cheeks too.

"I don't see the point in me going to this _Council _thing," Sakura complained, standing in only her underwear as Tenten nodded at her slim figure with approval and pulled a beautiful, pale cream ball gown from the wardrobe and tossed it to her. "I'm not even a vampire."

"Exactly," Tenten replied as she helped Sakura into the gown and fastening the all the clasps and buttons with slender, nimble fingers. "You're the first human to know about us since the Twentieth Century. It's important that our allied Kage meet you face to face, if you're going to help us fight this war." Sakura didn't reply but merely nodded her head in defeat at the brunette laced up the corset around her waist tightly and Hinata curled and did her hair with gentle and slender hands.

The two vampires stepped back to admire their work after an hour and gave Sakura the opportunity to finally see her reflection. She could only gape at the mirror, unable to recognise the girl gaping back at her. The girl in the mirror looked older, beautiful, every bit as much of a vampire as Tenten or Hinata, and it took Sakura a moment to realise that the girl was in fact _her_. The gown was cream lace, fitting around her waist and then flowing outwards in delicate lacy curtains from her hips to her feet, almost making her pale skin glow faintly. The sleeves only wound around beneath her shoulders.

Her hair was pinned up messily, delicately, and decorated with moonstone and small white flowers, with a few loose, waist-length ringlets hanging down and framing her delicate face. Tenten was dressed in dark crimson and Hinata in black, both looking like the beautiful priestesses of some dark goddess.

"Are you ready to go, Sakura?" Tenten winked and pointed to where Sasuke, Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji were waiting outside the Uchiha compound, all dressed impeccably, and Sakura nodded.

xxxxxxx

The Summit Hall was enormous and completely crowded with strangers. Beautiful girls and women looked at Sakura curiously as she walked passed and equally beautiful boys and men did the same as Sasuke led the group to where Tsunade had instructed them to wait. Sakura looked around for anyone that looked like they didn't come from the Leaf but found none. Hinata watched her curiously. "What are you looking for, Sakura?" she asked softly and Sakura shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Just looking to see if the other Kage are here yet."

"They will arrive shortly," Neji said from over his shoulder and Sakura nodded.

"Where are Ino and Karin?" Tenten asked Kiba and he shrugged. "I guess they just didn't decide to pitch tonight. But I'm glad _you _did," he winked at Sakura and she laughed.

Tsunade was waiting for them, dressed in a fitting black gown, very similar to Hinata's and she looked Sakura over before nodding in approval. "Good." She grabbed Sakura's arm. "You are to stand beside me when the Kage arrive, Sakura. It is important that you look proper at all times tonight."

"Okay," Sakura squeaked as she was pulled roughly away from the others, turning back to see Sasuke one last time before he was swallowed by the crowd, he smiled at her reassuringly before he was lost from view.

The messenger whispered in the Hokage's ears and Tsunade's voice boomed powerfully over the room, causing everyone to fall silent as they watched her with their utmost attention. "The Water and Wind Kage have arrived. Kindly clear a path for their entrance." The guests parted to form a linear path from the great double doors to where Sakura and herself stood and the doors opened.

A tall and slender woman, more beautiful than Tsunade and any woman Sakura had ever seen, dressed in a rich, blue silk with long brown hair that reached down to the backs of her knees, walked imperiously and gracefully up the aisle to stand beside Tsunade. "The Mizukage of the Village Hidden in the Mist," Tsunade introduced her and the guests bowed. The Mizukage bowed in return, but without saying a word. She looked at Sakura with her bright green eyes and smiled, flashing her fangs and Sakura felt her stomach twist because the smile wasn't a kind one.

"And the Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand," Tsunade called and Sakura went rigid with astonishment when Gaara walked through the doors and down the aisle, pale-blue eyes fixed on her.

xxxxxxx

"This is Sakura Haruno? The _human_?" The Mizukage asked in a deep and rich feminine voice and Tsunade nodded. "Yes." Sakura could only vaguely hear what the two women were saying, but her attention was fixed on Gaara, dressed in maroon robes and leather. The four of them were alone in a private room situated above the Summit Hall.

"You didn't tell me you were a _Kage_," she whispered so that only he would hear her. Gaara regarded her silently before he shrugged. "I doubted that you knew of the existence of the Hidden Villages at that stage so I didn't believe it to be important."

"But you're almost like _royalty_," she hissed and he raised a non-existent eyebrow. "Hardly, Sakura. The five Kage are _nothing _like royalty."

"Speak for _yourself,_ Kazekage," the Mizukage drawled and chuckled when he frowned in response. _More an adult than a teenager,_ Sakura thought as she watched him and Tsunade cleared her throat to gain their attention. The two women continued their conversation as they sipped their drinks. It was some sort of animal's blood but Sakura wasn't sure which, her own drink was a simple glass of water flavoured with lemon and honey.

"And you say she has drunk the Vampire Blood?" The Mizukage watched Sakura with sharp eyes and Gaara froze and blinked in astonishment as he looked at her closely and realisation dawn on him. Sakura felt his immediate anger radiate from him in waves as his stance and tone changed. "You gave her _Vampire Blood_?" He hissed, furious, pale eyes narrowed at Tsunade. "So soon after learning the truth about our kind? Did she even have a _choice_ in the matter?"

The Mizukage frowned when Tsunade didn't reply and remained silent. "The human is the Hokage's responsibility not _yours, _Kazekage." Her tone was condescending and Gaara snarled in response. "'_The human'_ has a name." Sakura blinked. _He's defending me?_

"Was Sakura aware of the _pain_ that proceeds after drinking it? And the effect that it would have on her body and personality?" he demanded harshly and Tsunade nodded and replied quietly, "Yes." The Mizukage rolled her eyes. Sakura could remember the pain clearly and the thought of it made her skin crawl and she shuddered. The Hokage noticed.

Sakura was shocked at how guilty Tsunade looked and swallowed nervously when Gaara turned to her, his features softening. "Were you forced to drink it, Sakura?" he asked gently and Sakura, stunned, shook her head quickly. "No. I chose to drink it on my own." Gaara frowned and searched her for any signs of deception and after finding none, looked away from her.

"There you have it, Kazekage," The Mizukage snapped, "This just shows that you're making a big deal over _nothing_." Gaara growled and Tsunade composed herself. "That's enough," she hissed, glaring at them both. "We are allies in this war. It's time we start acting like it."

"Agreed," the Mizukage said imperiously and Gaara scowled but didn't object. "Good," Tsunade said seriously, "Then let us begin with our new battle strategy."

xxxxxxx

Ino watched the three Kage and Sakura from the trees surrounding the Summit Hall; her medieval themed cloak masked her face in shadows and Karin, dressed similarly, stood beside her. Two, dark figures appeared beside them; crimson-red clouds fastened their cloaks at the neck.

"Identify yourselves," Ino said quietly and the two figures removed their hoods. Itachi and the golden-eyed redhead, Sasori. "You are aware of your instructions, correct?" Karin demanded. They couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Not tonight. The two boys nodded and Ino pointed out directions. "Take your positions and remember to wait until Sasuke has been acquired before following out instructions."

"Hn." They were gone, leaving Ino and Karin alone again.

It wasn't long before Sasuke appeared amongst the trees, catching a breath of fresh air, just as the two girls had known he would do and had planned for this moment. Karin ignited her hands with pale blue, glowing light and nimbly dropped from the branch and landing beside him, not giving him a chance to react before she struck him in the sides. Ino watched his efforts become slower and weaker as Karin's powers took effect. Sasuke sank to his knees, no longer able to move, Karin holding his arms behind his back tightly and Ino landed lightly in front of him. He snarled at her, baring his fangs. "_What are you doing, Ino_?" Ino felt thrills run through her at the sight of him at her mercy and smiled nastily. "That's hardly more exciting than what _you'll _be doing for _me_ later, Sasuke."

She knelt in front of him and placed her fingers lightly over his temple and his dark eyes widened with realisation and a deep growl escaped him, giving Ino goose bumps. "Give your mind to me, Sasuke," she purred as he tensed, her fingertips glowing darkly.

"You won't get away with this," he snarled through clenched teeth and Karin sniggered from behind him as she released his arms, they fell limply to his sides, and moved to prepare the Circle.

"Oh, Sasuke," Ino giggled as his eyes rolled back and he fell forward heavily into her arms. She watched his peaceful, sleeping face, brushing his fringe aside and whispered. "_I already have._"

_Sasuke has been acquired._

xxxxxxx

"You didn't need to get so angry, you know," Sakura teased as her and Gaara waltzed gracefully across the room with the other guests. His expression darkened. "If your will wasn't so strong, Sakura," he said in low voice, "The pain would have driven you insane."

"What?" Sakura felt herself go cold and felt a pang through her chest at the thought of her friends betraying her. _Perhaps they never knew, _she reasoned with herself, but Tenten's reaction had confirmed her suspicions. _They lied to me. Sasuke lied to me._

"They never told me that," she murmured numbly and Gaara continued. "Humans in the past lost their minds to the pain, became monsters, lost their humanity completely. They attacked other humans for their blood, despite not fully being vampires themselves." He paused. "Do not cry, Sakura." Sakura looked up in surprise and realised that there were, in fact, tears running down her cheeks and dripping from her chin into the fabric her dress. They came to a stop and Sakura hastily wiped the tears away. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me I-"

Gaara slid his fingertips under her chin and lifted her face to his. She was too surprised to move, even when he leaned toward her and she realized, belatedly, what he was doing and shut her eyes reflexively as his lips brushed gently over hers, sending shivers through her.

Sakura felt a sudden and fierce longing to be held and kissed in a way that would make her forget everything else surge through her body and she twined her arms around his neck, to steady herself and to draw him closer. His hair tickled her fingertips as his fingers traced her cheeks and the line of her jaw, his touch was gentle. Gaara's hands moved to cup the back of her neck.

Sakura suddenly felt her skin prickle painfully, like millions of tiny needles and she went numb with an icy shock of wrongness. Something was wrong, very wrong. What were the malevolent presences approaching so quickly? Gaara must have felt it too, because he pulled away and pulled Sakura to the ground just as the first bomb exploded.

"_Art is an explosion, yeah!"_

The ground shook and bits of ceiling rained down on them as Gaara pulled her to her feet. "The Akatsuki," he snarled his eyes scanning the room, "And the Hidden Rock and Cloud." The Hall was in chaos, vampires fought viciously around them, like snarling dogs, both men and women alike, and Sakura could feel the shockwaves of more bombs going off within the huge building while a masculine voice cackled with cruel and passionate amusement.

"Gaara, you have to get back to Suna!" Sakura shouted over the noise, nimbly dodging a piece of ceiling. Gaara looked at her with astonishment, "They're here for _you_, Sakura," he snarled and Sakura felt her stomach twist again but remained adamant. "You're village needs _you_ and my friends need _me_. I have to go find them," Sakura began to move away but Gaara caught her arm, his face was conflicted. "Find your friends and return to Suna immediately. You need to be put into protective custody. You already know where it is." Sakura nodded with understanding and smiled. "The abandoned train tracks."

Gaara kissed her cheek softly and released her arm. "I will wait for you, Sakura," he murmured before he vanished.

_I need to find Sasuke. _Sakura scanned the room but saw no sign of him. _Outside. _Sakura bolted for the door with all the speed she could muster but was blocked by a foreign vampire from another village. "_Human_," he hissed and charged. Sakura was immediately reminded of training and ran forward, dropping onto her back and sliding underneath him before flipping up and striking him from behind. The blow hit his neck and Sakura heard it snap before he crumpled to the ground like a ragdoll. She gaped at the limp body in front of her in shock, feeling adrenaline run through her veins. _I killed a man. But he wasn't human._

Sakura shot out of the door. There were battles outside too but it was less chaotic than inside the crumbling hall and Sakura ran toward an area of clustered trees, deciding that that was where Sasuke was more than likely to be.

Instead of finding Sasuke, she found Ino and Karin clearing away the remains of what looked like a circle? They looked up at her with disinterest and Sakura spoke frantically. "The Cloud and Rock are attacking." They looked at her condescendingly, like she was a stupid child. "_We know_," Ino shrugged and Karin sniggered. _Something's wrong._

"What's going on?" Sakura asked uneasily, her new instincts warning her that danger was coming, the prickling sensation returning stronger than it had been inside the Hall. Ino smiled triumphantly while Karin sneered and the look in the blonde's eyes made Sakura go cold.

"_They're the enemy..."_

"Why don't you as _Sasuke_?"

Sakura felt herself go hollow when she heard deep growling from above her head and Sasuke dropped nimbly from the branches above her, sharingan activated and trained on her.

_His eyes,_ she thought, her body going numb from horror. _They're the ones from my dream._


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Ino," Sakura's eyes darted between Sasuke and the blonde as she tried to piece together what was going on. "What have you _done?_" The blonde's evil smirk turned to a snarl as her blue eye's flashed hatefully. "You're so _stupid, _human," she hissed, moving in a blur to stand beside Sasuke and hold his arm. "Everything was perfect before _you _came along and ruined it, _princess_. Sasuke's _mine_ and you tried to steal him from me, and then you became the Hokage's stupid little _pet_." Sakura growled angrily, baring her canines instinctively and Karin snarled back at her. "And you seem to think you're one of _us _now, _cherry blossom._"

"Did _you_ do all this?" Sakura asked with disbelief, gesturing at the fires and battles and chaos around them and Karin smiled evilly. "With the help of the Yamanaka clan and their mind controlling abilities."

_Sasuke's being controlled._

"Not to mention the Akatsuki and Hidden Rock and Cloud," Ino added with narrowed eyes, "They were going to win the war anyway. So why not join the winning side, right, Sakura?" Sakura backed away from the three menacing figures. "You're traitors," she said, her voice trembling and Ino rolled her eyes. "You speak as if you're actually a _part_ of the Leaf. But I've had enough of you, human, and now I'm going to make you _regret _ever coming here" she snarled, "Kill her, Sasuke."

Sakura felt her blood turn to ice as Sasuke lunged for her, left arm drawn back to drive into her ribcage, frozen on the spot and clenching her eyes tightly, waiting for him to strike. _Move, Sakura! MOVE! _Her body screamed at her and Sakura felt all thoughts vanish as a new instinct took over and she ducked at the last minute and dropped to a crouch, swiping her leg 360 degrees across the ground and catching his legs behind the knees.

Sasuke fell forward but recovered by propelling himself away from her in a backflip with his palms touching the ground as she jumped back to her feet and adjusted her stance. "_Sasuke, what are you doing?!" _She almost screamed at him as she evaded another strike and he snarled in response. Sakura doubted he could even hear her anyway as they fought each other viciously and she hissed when he raked her back and drew blood. They broke apart momentarily and Sakura used those few seconds to rip the lace of her gown away, from the knees to her feet, shortening the dress and making it easier for herself to move and fight, ignoring the burning of her new wounds.

"_What are you?"_ she could hear Ino's voice hiss through her head.

Sakura felt tears begin to blur her vision and snarled as she blinked them away, but she was distracted. Ino and Karin laughed as Sakura evaded too late and Sasuke caught her around the wrist painfully and threw her. Her back hit the tree's trunk, hard, and she heard and felt her arm and a few of her ribs shatter before she hit the ground, landing on the broken arm and crying out in pain as stars flashed across her eyes.

"_You're just a human."_

"Finish her, Sasuke," Ino smiled nastily and Sasuke advanced, ready to deliver the killing blow without hesitation and Sakura felt her heart break, this pain hurt more than her broken bones. He raised his arm and Sakura gaped at him with wide, teary eyes. "Sasuke," she whispered with disbelief as he reached her, cold eyes blank and emotionless. _"He doesn't care about you anymore,_" Sakura could hear Karin's words from her dream ring through her mind as Sasuke snarled and brought his arm down.

Something small and silver whistled through the air and took Sasuke with it, pinning him to a tree by the collar of his shirt and Sakura looked up painfully and saw that it was a silver throwing knife. Ino and Karin hissed furiously as Tenten and Hinata suddenly appeared in front of Sakura, shielding her protectively.

"What, _the_ _fuck_, is going on here?" The brunette demanded furiously, snarling with bared fangs and producing another two knives, one in either hand. Sakura saw that both girls were weary and bleeding from various cuts on their bodies and that their gowns were torn, just like her own, and that soot and ash marked their pale skin like messy tattoos. Hinata fell back and gently pulled Sakura to her feet. "Are you alright, Sakura?" she whispered worriedly, looking at the off-angle of Sakura's arm and blackening bruises through the tears of the gown's bodice with wide silver eyes before quickly returning to Tenten's side as Sasuke pulled himself free of the tree.

Sakura cried out with astonishment and surprise as the bones suddenly set themselves painfully before they healed, leaving only a dull ache. But there wasn't time to think about that. She joined Hinata and Tenten as Sasuke joined Ino and Karin and both sides glared at one another, bodies tense.

"They're controlling Sasuke," Sakura whispered and Tenten nodded gravely, "I know. The Yamanaka Clan are responsible for this revolt, they want to overthrow Tsunade and ally the Leaf to the enemy." Sakura gasped with shock. "But Ino and Karin seem to have revenge in mind too," Hinata whispered regretfully and Sakura felt her chest tighten painfully as her and Sasuke locked eyes. His were cold and hateful while her own where anguished and horrified. _This isn't Sasuke anymore._

"We need to get out of here," Tenten said in a low voice as the two groups slowly circled one another and Hinata nodded, "We need to get to Suna and figure out how to save the Leaf from there."

"But what about the others-" Sakura began frantically.

"They're gone," she said gravely and Sakura paled, "Are they-". Hinata shook her head, "Not dead, just missing." She said grimly. Sasuke growled and Sakura growled back at him, feeling the powerful sense of wrongness again and a stab in her chest like a knife.

"_They're the enemy…"…_

_Was it a warning?_ Sakura asked herself numbly as she watched Tenten discreetly produce a third knife, she spread them out in one hand, between her fingers, as the three enemy vampires change. She pulled her arm back and released as Sakura and Hinata tensed and readied themselves for the confrontation. But the confrontation never came because Tenten's knives struck them, the silver burning through their clothes as they snarled and hissed with pain. "Sasuke!" Sakura cried as she saw his face contort with pain but Tenten gripped her arm tightly.

"NOW!" Tenten screamed, Sakura went hollow, and the three of them became blurs as they vanished. Ino screamed.

_Sasuke…_

xxxxxxx

Sakura, Tenten and Hinata crouched low, hidden in the smouldering ruins of a small house. Only the blackened shell was left but it made a good enough hiding place. Sakura shook with fury as she watched Akatsuki and foreign vampires patrol the streets and pass their hiding place multiple times without discovering its occupants. They could never seem to find a long enough gap to make their way to the tunnel to the surface at the end of the village without potentially being caught and then captured.

The Leaf had gone quiet. All those that had fought against the enemy had either been captured, or were being controlled by the Yamanaka Clan now. The cavern under Manhattan was foggy with black smoke from the multiple fires that had spread out through the Village and the only sound they could hear now was the distant roars of still raging infernos.

Ino and Karin had sent search parties out looking for the three of them, but they had moved between hiding places too many times to be found. "Okay… _now_," Tenten hissed and they bolted for the next abandoned house, diving through a shattered window and into what used to be a dining room. An enemy moved in the shadowy corner, "There you are-"

He never got to finish his sentence because a small, silver knife hit his throat through the front and exited through the back, sailing out of the window behind him, spattering blood everywhere, and he crumpled to the ground and didn't move again. "That was my last knife," Tenten muttered darkly.

They continued with this strategy until they finally reached the tunnel and hastily climbed the concrete steps. The tunnel was dark but Sakura could see through it as clearly as though it were day, her body telling her to run away and never return to this horrible place, but Sakura stood still.

She gazed behind her at the Leaf that lay burning but it would be rebuilt. Sasuke was there with the others, with _Ino _and _Karin_. _And I never got the chance to tell you I love you_. She felt tears prick her eyes again but blinked them away with a cold and bitter feeling as Hinata took her hand and together, the three of them fled from the Hidden Leaf and emerged through the subway.

xxxxxxx

Manhattan looked exactly as it had before Sakura had left, happy, busy and completely ignorant. There was only half an hour left before daylight and Sakura knew that they wouldn't be able to reach Suna in time before the sun burned her companions to dust. _It would probably burn me too_, she thought grimly as she gazed sadly at the grave and weary faces of her friends. They looked disorientated and Sakura realised that this was more than likely their first time to the surface.

"Come," she muttered, taking both their hands and guiding them along the pavement slowly, exhausted, as people walked passed them and gave them worried and strange looks. Cars drove passed them loudly, the humans driving them not sparing them a single glance.

"Will we get there before the sun rises?" Tenten murmured sleepily and Sakura nodded as they turned a corner and passed a middle-aged lady walking her dog. "Good, God," they heard her mutter under her breath as she took in their bloody and battered appearances but made no move to assist them.

They reached her old apartment building and ducked into the lobby just as the sun's first rays lit up the concrete pavement outside and the three leaned heavily against the walls. Sakura called the elevator and growled with frustration at how slowly it took to reach the bottom before the shiny silver doors opened and the three girls piled inside. The ride to the top was just as slow and Sakura could see that she wasn't the only one on edge. Tenten glared at the floor, hate burned like fires in her eyes and Hinata was grieving inside over her cousin, Neji. Sakura understood. They weren't safe yet. Ino could easily track them back here. The elevator shuddered as it came to a stop and the two vampires groaned at the jerking movement. Sakura ignored it, too used to it to be bothered and moved quickly to listen at her apartment door. Her parents weren't home. _What a surprise,_ she thought dryly, unlocking it and stepping inside with Hinata and Tenten behind her.

"I'll get blankets," Sakura told them quietly, battling to keep her eyes open. The three girls made a messy bed on the living room floor and collapsed before closing their eyes and falling asleep immediately. They couldn't be hunted during the day time.

_We're safe until sundown._

xxxxxxx

Ino lounged luxuriously on Sasuke's bed while Itachi gave her his report. "They're _gone_?" she snarled, sitting up straight and feeling fury course through her at the thought of the _human _and her friends slipping through her fingers and Itachi nodded. "Yes. They've escaped to the surface."

"How could you let this happen?" Karin demanded icily, crossing her arms and standing beside the large bed with Sasuke beside her, watching his brother silently, his eyes cold. _My Sasuke,_ Ino smirked with satisfaction in her mind but kept her face in a snarl as she listened to what Itachi had to say to her. "And _Tsunade_?" She hissed through clenched teeth, trying to discover the answer through his dark, obsidian eyes before he spoke, but Itachi's face was a mask and Ino found the task impossible. "Arrested and being held in the prison cells. Just as you ordered."

"Good," Karin snapped, "You can leave now." Itachi snorted with contempt as he turned away from them and stalked from the room.

"We did it, Ino," Karin grinned and Ino smiled back and looked up at Sasuke, noticing the dark lines and shadows around his eyes as he watched the door. "Are you tired, Sasuke?" She purred and he looked down at her blankly. "Yes." His deep and masculine voice sent thrills through her and the blonde climbed gingerly off the bed and gestured to it. "Then sleep, darling," she cooed and Sasuke obeyed, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it aside, peeling back the duvet and pulling of his sneakers and socks before lying down and closing his eyes. Karin gazed dreamily at the rippling muscles of his torso and the two girls stripped into their underwear and climbed in beside him, both resting their heads on his chest.

Ino felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest and pictured the image of Sakura's hurt and pained face. If only the human could have seen them now and Ino chuckled nastily, Sasuke had almost killed the human for her. He _would _have killed her too, if those two traitors hadn't gotten in the way and stopped him from fulfilling her wishes. Watching Sasuke do her bidding had been thrilling for her and Ino had never felt so alive. And now Sasuke was hers, and Karin's if her friend wished, and only theirs.

_I will find you, Sakura Haruno_, She thought as she breathed in Sasuke's delicious scent and allowed sleep to pull her under.

_And I will make sure you suffer._

**Hey, everyone! Hope you're enjoying and I appreciate the reviews and all your support!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The three girls woke just as the sun set and bolted for the elevator, leaving the apartment as it was. There was no time to waste on unimportant tasks, the three of them needed to get to Suna before Ino and Karin found them and the walk to the old train tracks that would have taken Sakura an hour under normal circumstances took them only twenty minutes as they ran at top speed. Their exhaustion was gone, replaced by a grim determination that propelled them forward, fuelled by the moon's silver rays. But Sakura was distracted.

Images of Sasuke kept flashing before her eyes, how cold he was, the way he had looked at her like she was a stranger to him, the way he had _hated_ her. Sakura growled as her vision blurred with tears and shook head in an attempt to clear it but failed. She heard the sound of Sasuke's growl ring through her head, low and menacing and terrifying, it brought goose bumps to her skin and Sakura stumbled and fell forward before her companions caught her arms and helped her back to her feet. Sakura smiled appreciatively and snarled at herself. _That wasn't Sasuke. That was someone else._ She tried to convince herself but doubt kept tugging at the corner of her mind.

Tar and road turned to grey, white and brown gravel that crunched under their bare feet as the tall buildings grew fewer, replaced by tall trees, and disappeared as they run along the tracks, overgrown with weeds and grass, the surrounding trees bathing the place in dark shadows. Sakura stopped them in front of the carriage she had first met Gaara in and suddenly felt sick when she wondered if he had managed to escape unharmed. Memories of how he had kissed her at the Summit hall made her blush as she stepped lightly into the cool darkness and began to search for the entrance to the Hidden Sand.

She couldn't deny that kissing him had felt right, good, but she pinched herself guiltily. She was supposed to be with Sasuke wasn't she? She loved him didn't she? _I do_, she didn't even have to _try_ and convince herself of that. _But he doesn't love me… _there was no doubt in her mind that whatever love he had once had for her was gone now, twisted by Ino's powers, and Sakura felt her heart break all over again as she searched for the entrance that would lead them to Gaara and safety, her tears hidden by the darkness.

A dark hole in the carriage's floor caught her eye and upon further investigation, Sakura discovered a dark staircase leading down, into the ground. _The Village Hidden in the Sand._

"I found it," she called to her companions and they joined her sides, gazing down into the blackness cautiously, wordlessly and following Sakura's lead, descended into the darkness. The tunnel they followed was made from hardened clay and stone, and was damp and humid. They walked for what felt like an hour before the tunnel opened up into a huge underground cavern, similar to the Leaf but made from hollowed clay and stone. Similar, enormous crystals decorated the high ceiling, but instead of being green, they were gold. The architecture of the buildings was different too, Sakura noticed.

A small and pretty vampire with short brown hair approached them with wide and innocent eyes. "You're from the Leaf," she stated, taking in the dried blood and scars on their bodies with concern and curiosity and Tenten nodded, causing the girl's large doe eyes to widen further.

"Come quickly," she said in a hushed voice, taking off quickly through the village. "The Kazekage has been waiting for you." Sakura and her companions followed her down winding, sandy roads and between oddly circular shaped houses. The way the vampires here were dressed and the surroundings made Sakura think of an enormous clan of desert nomads.

_It's hot here,_ Sakura thought, glad for the tears in her gown now as a drop of sweat ran down her forehead. They stopped in front of a large and wide building, circular like the others and made from the same, light brown clay. The girl led them from the lobby and up a flight of stairs to a doorless arch that opened up onto a wide balcony and Gaara turned to face them, dressed formally in deep maroon robes with a leather vest over his torso and black pants underneath. His pale gaze fell on Sakura with relieved astonishment and she rushed to him, relieved that he was unharmed, and embraced him tightly, burying her head into his shoulder and sobbing as she released all of the pain and feelings she had bottled inside of herself from the very beginning, finally allowing herself to grieve over Sasuke and the loss of her old life.

"You're here," Gaara breathed into her hair softly, holding her shaking arms gently and casting an apologetic look at the three vampires watching them in bewilderment. "Matsuri," he called and the small brunette pulled her large, stunned eyes away from Sakura and straightened up enthusiastically, "Yes, Kazekage!"

"Take Sakura's friends to the living quarters I had prepared for them," he instructed her and Tenten sighed with relief, "Finally, a shower," and Hinata smiled gratefully as Matsuri led them away, leaving Gaara and Sakura alone. When Gaara was certain of this, he wrapped his arms around Sakura fully and held her tighter. "What happened, Sakura? Why do you look like this?" he asked in a low voice and Sakura calmed herself before answering.

"The Yamanaka Clan planned this revolt from the very beginning," she said in a small voice and Gaara snarled. "I think-I think the three of us were the only ones that managed to escaped," Sakura fought back sobs, "Sasuke… They hypnotized Sasuke, and now he's the enemy, and I think they hypnotized others." Sakura couldn't continue and Gaara released her and offered her his hand. "Walk with me, Sakura." Sakura blinked and wiped away her tears before taking his extended hand.

He led her down a short flight of stairs at the end of the balcony and through the streets in silence. Sakura was glad for this because it allowed her calm her mind and compose herself. They stopped outside of a small apartment building and Gaara led her up the steps to the top apartment and opened the door for her. The apartment was small, cosy, and definitely well furnished.

"You are under protective custody now and this is where you'll be staying," he explained before Sakura could ask, "Your friends are on the floors below you so they'll be close should you need them." Sakura looked at how terrible she looked through a mirror hanging on the wall opposite her and giggled. "I need a shower." She turned to Gaara with wide eyes, "Will you wait here for me?" He frowned at the unexpected question but nodded and Sakura made her way to the bathroom.

xxxxxxx

Karin admired the small clay bird resting in Deidara's outstretched hand while the blonde grinned. "And how big did you say the explosion would be, again?" She asked with fascination at how such a tiny creature could be so destructive and Deidara grinned boyishly as he brushed his long fringe from his eyes, "This baby could blow up more than half a Hidden Village, depending on size of course." He tucked the bird away in a pocket in his cloak. "It's truly a work of art." He stated, turning to face the door with a dry expression, "I have business with Sasori now." Karin waved him off, sniggering at his facial expression with amusement as he left, and hastily made her way to find Ino and deliver the information she had.

She found the blonde where she normally was when she wasn't busy ruling over the Leaf with her father, Sasuke's room, lounging on his bed.

Sasuke was lying on his back and Ino lay on top of him, dressed only in her pair of white underwear, her head buried in the crook between his neck and shoulder while he lightly stroked the smooth skin of her back with his fingertips, his face impassive.

Karin watched the scene in front of her with envy, admiring her friend's slender figure and closed the door behind her as the blonde's blue eyes opened slowly, catlike. "What is it, Karin," she asked softly and Karin watched Sasuke turn to look at her as well, his face blank and emotionless. _So obedient,_ her mind cooed.

"I have news on Sakura," Karin shrugged and Ino watched her, listening intently through half-lidded eyes. "We've searched her apartment and we found traces of the three of them being there, but then the trail goes cold after that."

"She wasn't there?" Ino asked in a quiet voice and Karin nodded apologetically. "Then she's fled to either the Hidden Mist or Sand." Ino stated and Karin agreed. "We have reason to believe they have."

Ino sat up so that she was straddling Sasuke's waist with her hands pressing against his chest to hold herself up. "I want spies sent in, to both, find out which one. I need to know where she's hiding." Karin grinned at her friend, who grinned back. "It will be done, Ino"

"Good," she said, climbing off of Sasuke and pulling her clothes back on. "Where are you going?" Karin asked curiously as Ino snapped her fingers and Sasuke immediately moved to the blonde's side as she headed for the door. "Come with me and you'll see. It's a surprise," she winked.

Karin raised an eyebrow at her friend's cryptic reply but grinned and followed nonetheless. The main Uchiha mansion was enormous, which was why Ino had chosen it as their base. _Among other reasons_, Karin thought to herself, with an evil smirk at Sasuke walking beside her, as they followed the blonde down corridor after corridor.

Karin knew where they were going. They were going to the Yamanaka's side of the mansion, where all the captives were forced into submission through mind control. Karin looked around at all the attractive figures around her, blue-eyed and blonde, like Ino and winked seductively at a particularly attractive boy with long hair like Deidara's, only paler. The boy winked back at her and Karin continued after Ino, a conceited smile on her face. Her red hair had always made her stand out from all the others. _But Sakura's hair is pink, even more unusual than red. Maybe that's why Sasuke liked her better,_ the voice in her head hissed and Karin growled.

Ino stopped in front of an intricately carved, wooden door and waited for it to open before stepping through it. Karin and Sasuke followed and Karin bowed her head respectfully at Ino's father in the corner.

"Are they ready?" Ino demanded and her father nodded wearily, "It took longer to break them than expected without the help of your friend's powers," he said, gesturing at Karin, "But it is done."

"Take me to them," Ino commanded imperiously and her father bowed and led her to a door in the far corner. Karin sniggered at how strange it was that the _father _was bowing for the _daughter_, as opposed to the other way around, and followed.

The door opened and Ino clapped with delight while Sasuke gazed blankly at the two figures standing in the doorway. Karin couldn't help but smile nastily as she imagined what the traitors' faces would look like after seeing her and Ino's two, new pawns. "This is _fantastic, _Ino," she breathed and Ino nodded and smiled triumphantly.

"This is _perfect._"

xxxxxxx

Sakura stepped into the joined living room and kitchen, dressed in light and airy desert clothes, comfortable but also fit for battle, and found Gaara waiting from her on the couch with a bored expression on his face as he watched the window through the front door.

"I didn't take _that _long, did I?" Sakura teased and Gaara gave her a ghost of a smile as he stood and Sakura joined him in the living room. She didn't doubt that she looked _a lot _better than she had when she had arrived earlier. Her arms were still lined with unhealed cuts and bruises but she had washed away the dried blood and dirt from battle, the thought made her flinch. She had removed the left over stones and crushed flowers from her long hair. The clothes she had found in her room were a loose white tank top that exposed her stomach slightly, cream-brown shorts, and black combat boots identical to the ones she had left behind in the Leaf.

Gaara looked down at her arms with a sad expression when Sakura reached him and he brushed he scars gently with his fingertips. "I should have stayed with you," he murmured and Sakura's breath hitched with surprise. "What-"

"Did, Sasuke do this to you?" He asked in a low voice, frowning, turning her hand delicately over in his as he examined the black and purple bruising on her palm and wrist, like it was something precious and delicate. "Yes, but he wasn't himself!" Sakura squeaked defensively and Gaara didn't lift his eyes. "I know," he said softly and his grip on her arm tightened. "But if I'd been there I would have been able to protect you…" he trailed off releasing her hand and Sakura looked up into his face with concern. "Gaara?"

"He tried to kill you, Sakura."

Gaara pressed his lips to hers, his arms wrapped around her waist to pull her to him and Sakura gasped with surprise before she sighed into his mouth, her eyes closing and her hands instinctively moving up to twine around his neck as his mouth moved over hers. When they parted, Gaara leaned his forehead against hers.

"I will do whatever it takes to protect you," he whispered, watching her with sincere and deadly-serious eyes. "Even if it costs me my life." Sakura sighed and closed her eyes, her voice was bitter.

"Sasuke said that too."

"And he would have kept that promise if that Yamanaka girl hadn't altered him." Gaara murmured and Sakura could feel his cool breath fan across her cheeks. "I know," she whispered and buried her face into his neck, feeling happier and lighter inside, like Gaara was the sun and his rays were warming her from the inside out but images of Sasuke haunted her once again, his hate, his coldness, and Ino's malice. Sakura tried to push the thoughts away but they won't leave her head and Tenten's voice kept ringing through her mind.

"_They're the enemy."_

_Sasuke's the enemy…_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_The Summit Hall was crowded and loud with the voices of the guests chatting to one another and Sasuke grimaced, but Tsunade had instructed them to be there. He entered the Hall, leading the group through the crowds of vampires to where the Hokage had instructed them to meet her._

_His eyes were constantly drawn to Sakura walking lightly beside him, so confident and strong, trying to take in everything of her surroundings that she could with wide and curious eyes, looking every bit as much of a vampire as every guest in the Hall and still every bit as much of the girl who had rescued him from the rain. Practically a vampire herself, but still so human._

'_Beautiful' he thought, taking in the way she walked, confidently and gracefully, the way her skin glowed flawlessly and her emerald eyes, framed by her pale, pink hair, seemed to almost shine like two stars. He smirked discreetly at how innocent and delicate she looked, dressed in pale lace and flowers, knowing full and well what she was truly capable of. He watched her with a sense of pride._

_They reached Tsunade, already waiting for them impatiently and she seized a startled Sakura by the arm and dragged her into the crowd. Sakura shot Sasuke a worried look and all he could do was smile reassuringly to assure her that she would be fine, before she was lost from sight._

"_Where is Lady Tsunade taking her?" Hinata squeaked worriedly and Sasuke explained. "She's taking Sakura to meet the other Kages." Hinata nodded with relief that her friend wasn't in trouble and Sasuke accepted a glass of lion's blood from one of the waiters, expensive and imported from Africa so it was usually only served at important functions and parties._

_He sipped at it while the group talked, vaguely aware of what they were saying, and couldn't help but think that this blood was nothing compared to what Sakura's blood tasted like. _

"_Where are Ino and Karin?"_

"_I guess they just decided not to pitch." Sasuke paid that no mind, those two were annoying at best, malicious and cunning and vain._

_The room went quiet as the Kages arrived, the Mizukage and the Kazekage and Sasuke almost chuckled at how nervous Sakura looked standing next to Tsunade but then the Kazekage arrived, Gaara no Sabaku, the youngest vampire to ever be appointed as Kazekage and Sasuke frowned when he saw Sakura go rigid with surprise and recognition._

'_Why would she know the Kazekage?' He watched the three Kages and Sakura disappear to the private meeting room above the Hall with an uneasy feeling but forced those thoughts from his mind._

_Music started playing as the night wore on and Sasuke danced with Hinata and was dancing with Tenten when the Mizukage appeared before the group. Tenten moved away from Sasuke and bowed respectfully, "Mizukage." The beautiful woman bowed back with acknowledgment and smiled at Sasuke in a way that made him uncomfortable._

"_Care to dance with me, Sasuke Uchiha?"_

_Sasuke frowned, unsure of how she knew his name but accepted her extended hand and gently pressed it to his lips before leading her to where the other guests were dancing. _

"_How do you know my name?" Sasuke asked in a low voice as they spun gracefully across the floor and the Mizukage's smug face became a mask. "It's only natural that I would know the names of the sons of one of the most powerful clans in the Leaf, young Uchiha."_

"_Hn," Sasuke replied, but had to force himself to ignore the thin layer of malice that seemed to coat the beautiful woman in front of him like a veil._

"_Wasn't Sakura Haruno the human that saved your life?" She asked, faking indifference and Sasuke watched the woman wearily. "Yes." The Mizukage narrowed her sharp green eyes, both identical and completely different to Sakura's . "She seems like such a sweet girl, although," Sasuke forced himself to stay composed as he felt her long nails dig painfully into his shoulder._

"_It's odd how you would repay her by making her drink Vampire's Blood. The poor thing, the pain must have been agonizing." _

_Sasuke felt like he had just been slapped in the face and felt his body go cold as he looked at the tall woman incredulously and shocked. "She was warned about the pain-"_

"_Yes," She cut in sharply, "But she wasn't warned about the fact that the pain may or may not have driven her to the point of madness and insanity now was she, Sasuke? The fact that she could have become a monster? Did you just _forget _to mention that part?" _

_It was becoming harder and harder to breath. "And she was so devastated when she realised that you never told her," she continued mercilessly, "I can only imagine how _betrayed_ she must of felt." Sasuke scanned the room for Sakura and the Mizukage brought her lips inches away from his ear, her breath sending shivers down his spine, releasing her hold on him and whispering, "She's there, Sasuke." The woman pointed and Sasuke turned his gaze to the direction she indicated and froze as he felt his veins turn to ice._

_He saw Sakura dancing with the Kazekage, her face was distraught. 'What the Mizukage said was true.' It felt like a knife wound to the chest and he felt the knife twist painfully when he saw the silver tears run from her eyes and down her satin cheeks._

"_Poor little human," the Mizukage murmured from behind him, but Sasuke wasn't listening. He bolted for the door, needing fresh air and quiet so that he could sort through his conflicted mind. The only thought that continuously rang through his mind was. 'I made her cry.'_

_He was greeted by cool air as he ran through the door, fighting back nausea, and headed for the trees, looking for a place to clear his head. _

_He let out a stunned hiss as he felt to hands jab him sharply in the sides and felt his energy immediately fade. Karin sniggered from behind him as he lost the ability to move his limbs and sank to his knees. The redhead had his arms pinned behind him painfully._

_Then Ino landed lightly, catlike, in front of him, wearing a dark cloak and Sasuke snarled furiously at the blonde and bared his fangs. "What are you doing, Ino?" _

_She smiled at him in a way that sent cold shivers down his spine. "That's hardly more exciting that what _you'll _be doing for _me _later, Sasuke." Sasuke felt himself go cold as her words sunk in. _

_He began to struggle as the blonde knelt down in front of him and placed her cold fingers lightly over his temple. Realisation dawned on him and his struggling became more frantic and he growled furiously as he felt a pleasant numbing sensation slowly begin to fog his mind._

"_Give you mind to me, Sasuke," Ino purred and Sasuke tensed and felt his body go rigid as he lost control of himself, the fog finally reaching his consciousness. "You won't get away with this," he forced himself to snarl at her as Karin sniggered nastily and released his arms. They were too heavy to lift and fell uselessly to his sides._

"_Oh, Sasuke," he heard Ino giggle as he fell forward, losing sense of where he was and what was going on around him. 'Sakura,' was the last thought that ran through his mind before Ino caught him in her strong arms and the world went black. _

"_I already have."…_

"What are you thinking about, Sasuke?" Ino watched him lazily through half-lidded eyes, sprawled across his bed while he watched the door, curious as to why Sasuke seemed to be more far away than usual.

"Sakura," he answered blankly and Ino felt sudden fury course through her veins, sitting up quickly and grabbing the collar of Sasuke's shirt to pull him down to her height. She looked up into his empty, obsidian eyes and pressed her fingers to his temple again. "She will _never_ cross your mind again," she hissed and Sasuke nodded, his eyes clouding over as her powers took effect. "Oh and one more thing," Ino tugged on his dark hair and smirked with satisfaction when he lowered himself so that he was kneeling submissively in front of her. Ino brought her lips to his ear, her voice a whisper.

"_I want you to hate Sakura, Sasuke. More than anything else."…_

xxxxxxx

Sakura hissed when Tenten lightly prodded the dark black and purple bruising over the left side of her ribcage. The brunette frowned. "I thought you said they were _broken._" Sakura was standing on a raised, circular, wooden platform in the private medical wing opposite from the Kazekage's office building, with the corner of her tank top raised just enough to reveal the healing bruises from her battle with Sasuke.

"They _were_ broken! And I think my arm was too," Sakura threw her hands up in exasperation and Gaara regarded her thoughtfully with Matsuri at his side. Hinata's silver eyes swept her over thoroughly before she deactivated her Byakugan. "Not so much as a _crack_," she whispered and Gaara nodded. "It would make sense," he muttered and Matsuri gave him a curious look.

Tenten raised an eyebrow at the Kazekage and Sakura looked at him curiously. "_What _would make sense?"

Gaara regarded Sakura again before he spoke in a low voice.

"Sakura has _Healer's Blood_."

Matsuri gasped with disbelief and Hinata squeaked with surprise. Sakura frowned at all the stunned expressions and crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling self-conscious when every sharp set of eyes in the room fell on her to try to make sense of what the Kazekage had just said. "What does that even _mean_?" She demanded, wanting to know why everyone was now looking at her like she was some sort of _alien_. _Healer's Blood._

Tenten looked at her seriously. "It means your blood has healing properties. Your wounds _heal themselves_, Sakura. That's why none of your bones are broken anymore."

"But I thought all vampires could do that…" Sakura trailed off uncertainly, confused, and Hinata shook her head, her voice soft. "Only with small wounds like shallow scratches and cuts. Bruises take longer and depending on how serious they are, they also heal themselves slowly over time but," Hinata paused as she looked over Sakura again, "for us. Broken bones and fatal wounds cannot heal on their own. It's different for people with Healer's Blood."

Sakura looked down at herself again, stunned at this new development, "So that means, my blood's, _special_? But how?"

"Lady Tsunade must have passed it on to you," Tenten said thoughtfully, "It isn't unheard of for humans to inherit the powers of _one _of the vampires whose blood they had drank, but it's very rare, Sakura."

_I have powers._

Sakura climbed down from the platform lightly and Matsuri added. "You can also heal the wounds of others. By letting them drink your blood."

"When Lady Tsunade had to heal emergency cases, she allowed them to drink from her arm," Hinata said softly gesturing to the soft flesh between her wrist and elbow, "Right here."

Images of Tsunade locked up and hypnotized flashed through Sakura's mind and she shuddered. "We have to save her, we have to save everyone," she breathed, an idea suddenly coming to her and she looked up at all the curious faces watching her. "If I can get Ino's victims to drink my blood, then maybe it would free them from her control. We could save _everyone._"

Gaara regarded her idea thoughtfully. "It may be possible, however," his voice became serious, "You will need to train, Sakura before I can assign you to a battle team and send you to the surface." Matsuri nodded. "We will conduct battle training with the three of you," she nodded to Tenten and Hinata and they both nodded grimly as the atmosphere in the room darkened.

Sakura looked up quickly when she felt a hand on her shoulder and saw that it was Gaara's.

"You're still only human. Are you sure you want to do this, Sakura," He asked gently and Sakura nodded, feeling dread and grim anticipation grow in the pit of her stomach at the thought of the war she was now involving herself in.

"I will fight."

xxxxxxx

"We have two hours before sunrise," Temari barked, reminding Sakura of Tsunade, "We will use this time to differentiate your fighting styles and abilities."

Temari no Sabaku had been introduced as Gaara's older sister but she couldn't have looked less like the young Kazekage. Her hair was blonde instead of red, done unusually in four spiky pigtails, and her eyes were dark instead of pale-blue and lacked the dark shadows that ringed Gaara's eyes.

Matsuri had explained to the three of them that Temari fought with a large battle fan and Temari pulled it from her back and pointed it at Sakura. "You're the human, am I right?" Sakura nodded and Temari smiled deviously, "Then you and I will fight first, Sakura."

Sakura took a fighting stance as Hinata and Tenten disappeared and appeared by the fences surrounding the training grounds in seconds to give the two opponents space.

Temari lunged forward and Sakura ran to meet her, narrowly avoiding a sharp gust of air and flipping backwards through the air over the fan as Temari stabbed it forward to strike her with its sharp edge. Sakura landed on her palms and spun herself so that her suspended legs caught the fan between them and threw the fan and Temari over her as she release it and her feet touched the ground again.

"Not bad, human," Temari smirked, smoothing out her short, black kimono and lunging again. Sakura evaded well, but was too slow on few occasions and acquired cuts that quickly healed themselves and bruises that ached. They ended the battle when Sakura had finally exhausted all of her stamina. Temari fought Tenten next.

The brunette produced and threw knives so quickly that Sakura almost couldn't see them as they whistled through the air toward Temari who managed to reflect most of them with her enormous fan. "Tenten's a knives specialist," Hinata explained softly, "She's been trained to use them since the age of three."

The battle ended when a sharp gust of wind from Temari's fan split the flesh of Tenten's arm like butter and the brunette limped to the fence, bleeding heavily and covered with bruises and smaller cuts, but still grinning all the same. "That's the most fun I've had in ages," she grinned and Sakura hurried over to her. "You'll bleed out!" She exclaimed, biting her arm and pressing the bleeding mark to Tenten's mouth quickly. Tenten drank and Sakura felt goose bumps rise on her arms from the strange sensation as the wounds on her friend's body disappeared and healed themselves.

"Thanks," Tenten breathed, wiping the blood running down the side of her mouth away and turning to watch Temari and Hinata battle each other.

Hinata managed to evade every single one of Temari's attacks, almost as though she could see them in advance before they even happened which Tenten explained was due to her possessing the Byakugan. Sakura watched with fascination at the way Hinata struck Temari with the palms of her hands as opposed to her fists.

"That's called the Gentle Fist," Tenten whispered, "Only the Hyuuga Clan are able to use this style of fighting."

Temari eventually had to end the battle after not being able to touch the willowy girl for an hour. And the three girls dragged themselves, exhausted, back to their apartments.

Sakura didn't even bother locking the door behind her before she fell into bed, still dressed in her clothes from training. Sleep dragged her under into nightmares of red, cold eyes and Karin's evil laughter.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"_What the hell are you doing, Sasuke?!" Sakura backed away as Sasuke stalked forward, Ino and Karin at his sides, leering down at her maliciously with long, bared fangs while Sasuke snarled viciously, sharingan activated. His crimson eyes bored into her, fiery orbs of hatred and Sakura felt her knees go weak from terror as the burning Summit Hall vanished._

_Sakura breathed in cool and fresh evening air. They were in a grassy clearing, on the surface, and the sky was black with clouds, covering the moon so that Sakura could only make out the bumpy outline of tall mountain looming up in front of her. _

_She took a step toward it as the bright, silver moon came out and illuminated the clearing and the towering pile of corpses rising up in front of her with bright, silver rays and Sakura froze and screamed in horror, her blood turning to ice in her veins. She backed away frantically as she recognised the corpses of Tenten, Hinata, Kiba and Neji, staring up the sky with dull and empty eyes. Her eyes wandered downwards, recognising Choji, Shikamaru, Temari and Tsunade and right at the bottom, gazing right at her with glassy and dead eyes, was Gaara._

_Sakura went hollow and fell to her knees as she gazed at the pile of dead in front of her numbly, barely feeling the tears running down her cheeks and dripping from her chin. She couldn't seem to feel anything but shock and a dull and steadily growing ache in her chest. _

_Three, tall figures stood on top of the pile but Sakura didn't even have to look at them to know who they were._

"_Ooh, the cherry blossom's _crying_!" Karin cackled nastily as she adjusted her glasses, "Isn't she _pathetic_, Sasuke?"_

"_Pathetic," he agreed emotionlessly looking down at her with blank and empty eyes and Sakura gazed up at the three, dark figures numbly. "You made him do this," she said in a low voice before she screamed hysterically. "He isn't your puppet!"_

_Ino narrowed her glowing, blue eyes and growled through gritted teeth, "Sasuke is whatever I want him to be!"_

"_Then how can you expect him to love you?!" Sakura shot back before her voice cracked and she broke down into sobs. Ino screamed angrily from above her and shrieked. "Kill her, Sasuke! Kill her now! I never want to see her face again!"_

_Sakura heard Sasuke land lightly in front of her and tried to get to her feet and run, but she wasn't quick enough. Sasuke's fist collided with the back of her head and stars exploded in front of Sakura's eyes as she hit the ground, her head swimming and aching painfully so that it was difficult for her to see and breath._

"_Sasuke," she whispered through ragged breaths before crying out as the toe of his sneaker hit her in the ribcage and the bones shattered before healing themselves again, just as painful._

"_Healer's Blood," Ino hissed from behind Sasuke with a nasty smile. "That means I can prolong your suffering and have Sasuke hit you as many times as I want before you _die_, human." Sasuke's foot hit Sakura in the mouth and she tasted blood, feeling it run down the corners of her lips and chin, and spat out a tooth, sobbing. "Sasuke," she begged as she received blow after blow, healing themselves before Sasuke reopened them again while Karin laughed and Ino sneered with contempt._

"_Sakura!" Sakura shut her eyes tightly as she received at blow to the ribs once again. "Sakura!" That voice wasn't Sasuke's…_

"Wake up, Sakura. You're dreaming!"

Someone shook Sakura's shoulders gently and she woke with a scream, her body coated in sweat and her eyes searching the room frantically. They found Gaara standing over her bed, alive and alright, and Sakura seized the front of his robes tightly and buried her face in chest, sobbing hysterically while he stroked her hair gently and soothingly, stunned.

It had been so real, she had felt everything and she could still taste blood in her mouth from where she had bitten the inside of her cheek in her sleep, but it had healed. "What are you doing here, Gaara?" Sakura hated how she was showing weakness in front of the Kazekage but she couldn't help but feel soothed by his strong presence.

"You were screaming," he replied in his usual, quiet voice. It made sense; she had been having a nightmare so screaming was usually inevitable.

"How, did you, get in?" She asked through hitched breaths, not loosening her hold on him and she felt Gaara shrug. "The door was unlocked." _I forgot to lock it. _Sakura felt her face heat up embarrassedly. "I didn't wake you did I?" She asked worriedly and felt his chest vibrate pleasantly as he chuckled. "No. I was working late. I was walking home when I heard you."

Sakura groaned and released him so that she could hide her flushed face with her hands.

"Nightmares are common amongst our kind, Sakura," Gaara said quietly, sitting beside her and Sakura wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and rested her head on his shoulder. "Especially after what that Yamanaka girl has done. She's throwing our world into disarray. Do not be ashamed of something you cannot help."

Sakura felt her worry evaporate and be replaced by pleasant warmth as she breathed in his familiar scent, masculine and like cinnamon.

"Gaara?" She whispered and he opened one eye to look at her. "Hmm?"

"Is it possible to be in love with two different people?"

Gaara was silent for a while as he thought about the question. "I don't doubt it's possible," he gave her a ghost of a smile. "But I'm new to this feeling so I doubt I'd know the answer to that."

Sakura lifted her head to look at him with surprise. "You've never loved before?" Gaara angled his body toward her and dropped his arm from her shoulders to look down at her with softened features and a faraway look in his pale eyes. "My past made it hard for me to feel anything other than pain and hatred. But you, you helped get me out of that place." His fingers held her chin and tilted her face upwards; Sakura could feel his cool breath on her lips and closed her eyes. "And things are different now."

"I love you," she whispered, as he pressed his lips to hers and she wound her arms around his neck, worried about what he might say. She felt him smile against her mouth.

"I love you, Sakura."

xxxxxxx

The Mizukage gazed at Sasuke lustily. "I see your plan worked, young Yamanaka. Hello again, Sasuke." Sasuke watched her expressionlessly and didn't reply and Mei Terumi smirked smugly. "Such a handsome man. It's so much better when they're obedient."

Karin gazed admiringly at the tall and beautiful woman. "We couldn't have done it without your help, Mizukage," she gushed and Mei raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Child, as a Kage it is important that I ally my Village with the side that will _win._ It's a simple concept."

"Do you come with news?" Ino interjected, stretched out luxuriously on one of the Uchiha's expensive armchairs, and Mei sniffed disdainfully but nodded. "The human is not at the Mist, she is under protected custody by the Kazekage's orders. In the Sand." Karin hissed with annoyance and Ino nodded. "It makes sense. Do you know where the entrance to the Hidden Sand is, Mizukage?" Mei shook her head. "No, I fear. I have never been there."

"Then we will draw them out." Ino became lost in thought as she pondered this. "This strategy needs to be planned carefully," she murmured before she turned to Karin.

"Bring me Shikamaru."

xxxxxxx

Sakura trained hard those next few days, for hours on end, learning how to fight alongside and against Tenten and Hinata's completely different fight styles because they had been appointed as her new teammates, and learning how to fight better with her fists because she was still human and weaker than vampires.

Temari's training was vicious but Sakura noticed how her stamina increased, how her movements became more fluid and agile and how her body became leaner, her movements faster, deadlier. She familiared herself with the Village Hidden in the Sand and its citizens, finding the place a lot more of a home to her than her old apartment back at Manhattan had been. Her thoughts sometimes wandered to her parents in occasion but she realised, in a twisted way, that she didn't miss them at all. They had made it very clear just how much they _cared _about her by abandoning her at times where she had needed someone and them the most. She had a real family now, Tenten and Hinata and Gaara, the list went on. People that _were_ there for her, especially now. _And Sasuke_, she wanted to believe but knew she couldn't.

The nightmares haunted Sakura every night; each one more painful and horrible than the last, and Gaara had taken to sleeping in her apartment during the day so that he could be there to comfort her when the screaming started.

"_I love you, Sakura." I love you._ The three words she had never had the chance to say to Sasuke, and the words she had hoped that he would someday say to her, but she knew with a bitter feeling, that any chance of that happening was gone now, because of Ino. _I still love you, Sasuke. But I love Gaara now._ Gaara made her feel safe when Sasuke gave her only pain and grief but Sakura could never severe the bond she had with the raven-haired boy because she knew that despite what Ino may have turned him into, the boy she had rescued from the rain was still in there somewhere.

"You look exhausted," Gaara commented with amusement from behind his work desk as Sakura entered his office, sweating and panting from training. She fell onto his lap and leaned into him tiredly. "I am," she muttered. "What did the Council say?"

Gaara's amused smirk faded. "We have yet to receive word from the Mizukage and are forced to assume that Ino has taken the Mist now as well. We are hopelessly outnumbered, Sakura." His voice was so serious and Sakura felt dread and an icy feeling grow in the pit of her stomach along with the familiar prickly feeling across her skin.

"The Council wants us to ally ourselves with Ino and the Leaf."

Sakura jumped to her feet and looked at the Kazekage incredulously. "And what?" She demanded hotly, "Be controlled and enslaved like everyone else, are they _stupid_?"

"They're afraid," he said quietly, their eyes connecting and Sakura felt herself deflate. "It won't be long before they finally find us, Sakura." Sakura straddled his hips, facing him and leaning her forehead against his tiredly. "I know," she whispered, "But I think I know the key to this war."

"What?" he asked curiously and Sakura looked at him seriously. "My blood." He frowned but Sakura continued before he could protest. "It heals. Anything that isn't death. It can heal their _minds_," she pressed. Gaara didn't reply so Sakura knew that he was thinking about what she had just said.

"I can free them, Gaara," she said in a low voice and Gaara looked at her seriously. "Understanding what the cure is and being able to administer it are two completely different things. How do you even plan on getting them to drink it? It's dangerous, Sakura."

Sakura sighed with frustration. "_Everything's_ dangerous now and besides, does your _Council_ have any better ideas?" Gaara snorted and Sakura knew the answer to that. "That's what I thou-"

Sakura was cut off when the office door flew open, revealing a breathless Matsuri who eyed their intimate position with brief surprise before becoming the most serious Sakura had even seen the small brunette.

"What is it, Matsuri?" Gaara asked as Sakura climbed off of his lap and the brunette took a deep breath before replying. "We have a message for Sakura. From Ino."

xxxxxxx

Gaara, Matsuri, Temari, Gaara's brother Kankuro, Tenten, Hinata and Sakura stood around the small TV screen mounted on the wall of another room in the Kazekage's office building, watching the dark screen with baited breath, bodies tense with anticipation and suspicion.

"Hello, Sakura," the blonde's conceited voice suddenly filled the room and Sakura snarled, bristling at Ino's malicious tone of voice. The screen was still black and Sakura wondered what Ino was hiding. _This is bad._

"I just wanted to tell you that I _know _where you're hiding. I just haven't figured out how to get there yet." Ino's smug tone made Sakura want to rip the screen from the wall in red fury but she remained composed as the blonde continued.

"And just because you were all wondering, and I know you were, the Village Hidden in the Mist hasn't been touched." Sakura heard a sigh of relief from Gaara and his siblings before the blonde continued.

"Now, Sakura, I know just _telling_ to come out of hiding won't interest you much," Sakura felt the prickling sensation spread across her skin again. "But I have another proposition that might interest you a bit more." The blackness on the screen was removed revealing a dimly lit room and two figures bound with rope, tied back to back, and unconscious.

"Neji," Hinata cried, anguished, and Tenten whispered, "Kiba." To herself. Sakura could only look at the screen with horror as she took in their bloody and battered appearances.

"_Yes,_ they are still alive," Ino's voice continued, "But for how long depends on how quickly you come and get them, Sakura. I'll be waiting."

The screen went black again and the room remained quiet as everyone watched the screen with a mixture of shock and horror.

"I have to go," Sakura finally said with a sinking feeling as the image of tortured Neji and Kiba flashed across her eyes and Temari gave her an appalled look. "But it's a _trap, _Sakura. That's what the bitch _wants_ you to do."

"But they'll _die_ if I don't," Sakura muttered, hating the sense of hopelessness spreading through her as she thought of how her friends could be being tortured at that very moment. _Ino enjoys inflicting pain on others._

"Our team can go in undercover," Tenten said quietly, surprising everyone. "Hinata has the Byakugan. She can sense the enemy and help us avoid them. I doubt it will be that difficult."

"It's danger-" Temari was cut off by Tenten who pointed a slender finger at a surprised Sakura. "Just being _here _is dangerous," she snarled. "Sakura isn't fully human anymore; she can handle herself out there. You've seen it for yourself. _You trained her for this_. We can't just sit here like ducks waiting for _them _to make the first move!"

Temari nodded meekly and everyone looked at Gaara expectantly to hear his final decision. He looked at Sakura with a pained and conflicted expression but said reluctantly,

"Let them go."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Take this," Sakura handed Tenten a small, crystal vial attached to a chain before handing Hinata an identical one. Tenten regarded the shimmering red liquid within the small vials and nodded with grave understanding. "Healer's Blood."

"It's enough to heal any fatal wound. It's just in case I can't get to you guys when you need me," Sakura explained and the brunette nodded with a small smile before returning to sharpening her knives. "Thank you, Sakura," Hinata said softly, smiling gratefully and fastening the chain around her neck, hiding it under the collar of her thin, white lace, sleeveless hoodie.

Sakura laced up her boots and examined her appearance. A white tank top and black hot pants, covered front and back by grey leather and buckles, loose and versatile. Sakura raised an eyebrow sceptically. "These clothes won't offer much protection."

"They're designed for mobility, not protection," Tenten explained, fastening the straps and buckles at the ankles of her red-brown, leather leggings and pulling on her boots, identical to Sakura's black ones. "Vampire wars aren't like human wars. It isn't necessary for us to clothe ourselves in armour. It only gets in the way." Sakura glanced at all the throwing knives and daggers hidden in small packs fastened to the brunette's belt. "They're designed to accommodate our speed and for agility."

"Why don't your knives burn you?" Sakura asked curiously, "They're silver aren't they?"

"Silver must first be bathed in the vampire's blood before they are allowed to touch it," Tenten said quietly, tossing Hinata a pair of black, leather leggings and a pair of combat boots, "Only I can touch my knives. Anyone else will be burned." Sakura felt sorry for the vampires that would come into contact with the brunette's blades.

"Time to go," Hinata called, already at the front door to Sakura's apartment, dressed for combat and Sakura gazed at the girl's willowy and elegant beauty enviously before moving to stand beside her friends at the door. "Time to go," she tried to sound brave.

xxxxxxx

Gaara gazed wearily out at the twilight outside the old train carriage that hid the entrance to the Sand before turning his gaze back to Sakura in front of him, his eyes grave. "Promise me you'll be careful," he said in a low voice but Sakura could hear the silent plea in his words and it made her heart ache.

"I promise," she said softly, "But I want you to keep this." She placed a small vial of her blood, connected to a chain, around the Kazekage's neck. "It will heal you if I'm not here," she whispered, hoping with all her heart that he would never have to use it, and Gaara nodded. "Thank you," he murmured into her hair, holding her close before releasing her and gently kissing her forehead. "Stay safe."

"I love you," Sakura whispered, but she was alone in the dark carriage, the only evidence of Gaara's departure was the cool air that moved through her hair in the direction he had gone. Down the steps to the Hidden Sand, where he belonged.

Sakura stepped lightly from the carriage outside to where Tenten and Hinata were waiting for her. "Are you ready?" She asked her teammates wearily and they nodded with grim expressions before the three took off, becoming blurs, as they ran to their destination at top speed.

xxxxxxx

"They've been spotted," Mei Terumi said smugly with a smirk, resting her chin on her long, intertwined fingers, "They're on their way." She turned to the window next to her and watched the entrance tunnel on the far end of the Leaf. "Now we wait."

"They took the bait," Ino said seriously, turning to the tall woman seated at the small wooden table opposite of the couch the blonde was lounging on. "Do you know your orders, Mizukage?" Mei turned to Ino and scowled with annoyance but nodded, "Yes, Ino Yamanaka. I am aware of what I must do." Karin nodded at Sasuke beside her and the couch, "What about Sasuke, Ino?"

"He stays with us," Ino said, touching his arm lightly and possessively, "Always." The blonde turned to the Akatsuki waiting by the door and spoke to Itachi. "Clear the streets. Your orders start now."

"Hn," Itachi nodded and the figures in black cloaks vanished, stirring the air in the room as they took off at top speed. Mei stood. "I'd best be going then. If I'm to fulfil my _orders_," she said in a low and silky voice, giving Ino a cold glance as she left the room. "She's amazing," Karin sighed enviously as the Mizukage left them alone with Sasuke.

"She's dangerous," Ino snapped, standing and fixing her dark-purple, leather skirt before moving to the door. "Come, Karin. We need to move into position." Karin nodded with anticipation and pulled Sasuke by the arm to follow them.

xxxxxxx

The three girls stopped at the corner of Leaf Street, panting as they caught their breath and gazed down at the concrete steps leading underground to the long, dark tunnel that would lead them to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"When we reach the streets, we split," Sakura said in a low voice and took off down the stairs, her teammates behind her. They didn't see anyone in the tunnels and didn't stop running when they saw the balcony spread out before them. Moving down the stairs to the ground would keep them out in the open for too long. They reached the edge of the balcony and jumped, plummeting to the ground floor, the wind screaming in their ears before the three landed lightly in a crouch before taking off in separate directions, heading for the cover of the buildings.

_They didn't rebuild_. The houses were still blackened shells and the air still smelt faintly of smoke and burnt wood. Sakura also noticed that the streets were way too quiet, eerie. There weren't even patrols walking the streets, everyone was just _gone_.

_What's Ino playing at?_ Sakura growled in her mind and froze when a cloaked figure stepped from the shadows and blocked her path. Sakura recognised the red cloud that fastened the cloak at the neck and knew that the figure was Akatsuki. Sakura took a fighting stance and growled, baring her canines.

"So beautiful," she heard the figure say quietly through the hood of his cloak, "So eternal." The voice was like music to her ears, dark velvet and laced with honey and Sakura forced herself to ignore it and snarled. The figure took a step toward her, removing his hood and revealing a face even more beautiful than his voice.

Red hair that reminded her of Gaara framed pale, almost white, skin and glowing, golden eyes, the colour of honey and cold amber, each feature of the boy's face delicate and sculpted to perfection. He watched Sakura with a bored curiosity. "You'd make such a lovely puppet. A true prize for my collection." _A puppet?_

"Where is, Ino?" Sakura hissed and the boy narrowed his cold eyes. "I cannot tell you that."

Sakura backed away and turned quickly at the sound of an explosion splitting air and the sight of flames a few blocks to Sakura's left.

"_Art is an explosion!_" She heard a male's voice shriek before she turned back to her opponent, also watching the towering fireball with a disdainful expression. "That, idiot," she heard him mutter before he turned to her again. "You cannot defeat me, you are only human," he stated with an icy calmness and Sakura growled as he forced her backwards towards where she had come from.

"I have to," Sakura hissed and he smirked nastily before he lunged for her, black cloak billowing out behind him. Sakura dodge and threw her fist forward with all the strength she could and watched as it connected with the boy's face. He wouldn't survive this blow.

Sakura gasped when her fist connected with wood instead of flesh and bone and the boy grabbed her wrist in an iron grip. A single crack marred his cheek where her fist had hit him, the only flaw on his perfect face. "You are aware of the special powers vampires possess," he said quietly, "I can turn my body into wood. You can hit me all you want but I won't feel a thing." He smirked again, smugly, and threw Sakura back down the street she had come from, hard.

She flew a few feet through the air before hitting the hard, stone street and skidded before rolling and feeling the skin rip off of her arms and legs before she came to a stop, lying on her stomach in the centre of the crosswords where her and her team had separated. A red and bloody trailed marked where she had rolled from and she watched, unable to move her limbs without causing severe pain from the broken bones, as the boy approached her slowly, watching fascinated as her skin knit itself back together and the bones reset themselves with sharp clicks and stabs of pain that she could feel in her teeth.

"Healer's Blood," he muttered, watching her closely, "Fascinating." Sakura jumped to her feet and cried out with surprise when she felt a body collide with her from the side and turned to see Hinata climb to her feet and whispered an apology, Byakugan activated, her body unmarked by wounds, as Tenten hit the ground, hard to her right.

"Fucking pyromaniac," she heard the brunette hiss furiously as she jumped to her feet, her gaze trained on a blonde laughing manically, holding two, white clay birds in his hands, her body covered with burns and ash. Hinata's gaze was trained on Itachi Uchiha, his sharingan activated and Sakura gazed at him with disbelief. "_Bastard_." She snarled before turning back to her own opponent, watching the scene unfold before him with a bored expression.

_Itachi is Akatsuki. He betrayed his own brother._

"This is the end," she heard the Uchiha say and the three girls took fighting stances and readied themselves for battle, growling from low in their throats.

"Enough, boys," A familiar voice rang out and the three Akatsuki dispersed and vanished.

"Mizukage," Tenten gasped with disbelief and Hinata squeaked with surprise as the tall and beautiful woman walked gracefully from the shadows to stand before them, watching them with contempt. "Hello, _children_," she drawled with a conceited voice, much like Ino's but deeper and silkier and more feminine.

"You _bitch_," Tenten spat, "You were on Ino's side all along. You're a traitor." The Mizukage rolled her eyes at them condescendingly and placed her hands on her hips. "I was on the _winning _side all along, child. _Younglings_ like you wouldn't understand." She took a fighting stance and grinned, revealing her fangs. "I'll play the part of the misunderstood bad guy and tell you to run, okay, children?"

Sakura and her teammates watched the Mizukage wearily, shocked and unmoving, and she narrowed her eyes at them, sharp and deadly emerald daggers. "I am a Kage, children. One of the most powerful vampires in the world. Those Akatsuki you fought a moment ago don't even stand a chance against me." She smirked nastily, "I doubt you'd last longer than a minute if I were to fight you."

When they still didn't move the Mizukage's smirk faded and became replaced by an expression of anger. "Believe me when I tell you that you _won't _find your friends here, human. Leave. I _will_ kill you if you don't. And there are still Akatsuki here if I can't finish the job."

"We need to go, Sakura," Tenten murmured, "Coming here was a mistake. We don't stand a chance."

"I know," Sakura whispered back with a sinking feeling.

"Why?" She demanded, keeping her eyes trained on the woman as they backed away toward the stairs, confused by her actions. "Why are you just going to _let _us_ escape_?" The Mizukage's face softened as she relaxed her stance.

"I'm just following orders," she said with a sad smile before she vanished…

The three girls didn't pause to ponder what the Mizukage had meant and raced up the stairs, across the balcony and through the tunnel to the surface.

_Suna,_ was the only thought that rang through Sakura's mind. They had to get back to Suna, to the Sand, to Gaara. It wasn't long before the tar road became gravel as the old tracks appeared.

"Running to your new lover, Sakura?"

The three girls froze and turned quickly to where the voice had come from. Sakura's mouth curled into a snarl and she growled menacingly from deep in her chest. Tenten and Hinata did the same, taking fighting stances on either side of her, muscles twitching with anticipation and grave caution.

"Ooh, how _terrifying_," they could hear Karin cackle from somewhere in the shadows. "The _human _still thinks she's one of us now."

Ino stepped out into the moonlight, her face a mask of cruel beauty, her eyes cold and hateful. "Well, well, well, Sakura. I should have guessed you'd fall for the Kazekage next."

Sakura hissed in anger and Tenten's hands curled into tight fists. "I wonder how Sasuke feels about that?" The blonde mused nastily, smirking and Karin joined her side, smirking as well. "Why don't we find out, Ino?" Ino grinned, flashing her fangs. "Yes, Karin. Let's."

Low and menacing growling sounded sharply from behind them and the three girls turned again quickly to face Sasuke but Sakura felt her stomach drop and could hear Tenten and Hinata's horrified gasps when they saw Neji and Kiba at his sides.

"Oh, so you _recognise _them, don't you, Sakura?" Ino called from behind her, "My two new pawns. Aren't they just _perfect_?"

_I can't let them find the Sand._ Sakura lunged at Sasuke while Hinata raced towards Neji and Tenten, Kiba. The night was filled with the vicious sounds of vampires hissing, growling and snarling as they raked at each other viciously while Ino and Karin watched imperiously and with amusement.

Sakura avoided Sasuke's fist and watched as Hinata staggered backwards when Neji's fist struck her eye. She didn't have time to see much else before Sasuke struck out again and dropped to a crouch and, supporting herself on one arm, propelled her legs upwards so that the heels of her boots hit Sasuke's jaw, hard.

Flashes of silver flew from Tenten's hands. The brunette's specialty, knives. Kiba hissed with pain as they impaled him but he snarled as he removed them. Sakura could tell that her friend was deliberately avoiding his vital points. Tenten didn't want to kill him, just like Hinata didn't want to kill her cousin and Sakura didn't want to kill Sasuke. She would never forgive herself.

"This is starting to annoy me," Sakura heard Karin snap from somewhere close behind her and shrieked when she felt the redhead's hands jab her sharply in the sides. A strange sensation came over her body, almost as though all her body's energy was being sucked out of her and Sakura thrashed violently, trying to resist as she lost the feeling and mobility of her arms and legs.

"What. Is this?" Sakura tried to force herself from Karin's surprisingly strong grip but found the effort useless. She watched in helpless horror as a furious Tenten was seized by Neji and Hinata was seized roughly by Kiba, both of them now in the same helpless position as Sakura was in their powerful grasps.

Both girls thrashed violently against their captors, growling and baring their fangs, even Hinata, who was surprisingly more vicious than Sakura had once thought, but it didn't make any difference. The two boys simply forced them onto their knees with blank expressions on their faces while Karin laughed nastily and taunted them from behind her.

Sakura felt her own knees give out and collapsed onto them while Karin held her arms behind her back painfully. "Does it hurt, cherry blossom?" The redhead hissed and Sakura growled in response. She kept her eyes trained on the ground until Ino forced her chin up so that Sakura would have to look at her.

"I hate you, Sakura," she stated calmly, "And I want to make you suffer."

"So kill me then," Sakura spat furiously, she refused to be humiliated by the likes of Ino and she heard Hinata squeak with despair. Ino's lips curled up in a nasty and cruel smile. "You will die, yes, Sakura. But you won't die by my hands." Sakura's eyes widened with surprise and confusion until Ino called, "Sasuke!" and she felt her insides twist around as nausea told hold of her. _No. this can't happen._

"You can't!" Sakura choked back tears as Sasuke appeared in front of her. "_Sasuke, stop_!" Tenten screamed with terror and horror and Hinata shrieked, "Stop it, Sasuke, you love her!" Ino struck Hinata across the face, her own face contorted with fury. "Shut up, weakling."

"Don't you touch her!" Tenten screamed, thrashing against Neji violently and Ino chuckled. "Pathetic." She turned back to Sakura with an expression that was completely cold and lacked empathy. "Do it, Sasuke."

Sakura couldn't stop the tears that leaked from her eyes as she watched Sasuke's cold and hateful face, as he raised his arm once again for the killing blow. He brought his arm down but it never reached Sakura's neck because another figure hit Sasuke from the side and the two of them hit the gravel hard and rolled before jumping back to their feet while Ino shrieked and Sakura watched in shock as Gaara growled at Sasuke, deep and menacing, his stance aggressive while Sasuke growled back.

"What the fuck?" Sakura could hear Karin whisper in shock from behind her.

"Why are you doing this, Ino?" Gaara growled from deep in his chest and Ino snarled in response, and hissed, baring her fangs like a wildcat.

"What could you possibly gain from this?" Gaara hissed and narrowed his eyes when she smiled at him nastily. "I have _everything _to gain."

Sasuke lashed out with lightning speed. Gaara ducked at the last minute and Sakura's eyes couldn't follow their movements after that. All she could see and hear were growling and snarling blurs as they fought one another, both going for the kill.

_They'll kill each other._

Sakura couldn't believe that she had once believed that vampires had seemed almost _human_ to her.

Karin watched with a bored expression, having recovered from her initial shock. "This is taking too long." She looked at Sakura. "You probably don't know this, cherry blossom, but I can steal energy. But I guess you already figured that out." She smiled nastily as she turned back to the battle happening in front of them. "Very useful for weakening the mind, but I don't think that's what Ino has planned this time."

Sakura felt nauseas all over again. "What are you going to do?" She whispered, terrified of what the answer might be, watching Gaara's blur with despair as Karin released her arms, heavy and numb, and silently approached from behind him.

"You'll see," she said as she struck him from behind, her hand glowing faint and translucent blue as she absorbed his energy.

_They're not human._

Sakura felt sick when she saw the stunned expression on the Kazekage's face as he lost the ability to move his limbs and stood still, frozen in place as Karin appeared in front of Sakura and seized her once again.

"Gaara!" She screamed and he turned his head slowly to look at her tear-stained face as Sasuke drew his arm back.

"Sakura-" his breath caught in his throat as he gazed down at the hand now lodged in his chest. Sakura froze in Karin's grasp, feeling bile rise in her throat. She felt her blood turn to ice. She wanted to scream, to shout out, but the words just wouldn't form in her mouth.

"Are you just going to let him _kill _him!?" Tenten screamed a Neji, struggling and trying to bite his arms.

"Kiba, _please_," Hinata begged, her voice a whisper, also struggling to the best of her ability.

Sakura's struggles became desperate as she fought against the vampire girl's iron grip. "I'm, supposed to, be stronger!" She growled furiously, feeling hot tears spill from her eyes. What had all her training been for?

_I'm just a human_, she thought numbly as she struggled frantically. "Gaara!" She screamed again.

"I think Sasuke can feel your heart, Kazekage," Ino murmured and Sasuke nodded blankly. Gaara growled in response, looking at Sakura with sad eyes. Sakura wanted to throw up when she saw no hope in them.

"You're supposed to _look _at you killer, Kazekage," Ino hissed from behind Sasuke.

"Sakura," Gaara whispered, closing his eyes, waiting for the raven-haired boy to strike, and Sakura screamed as Sasuke ripped Gaara's heart from his chest and the Kazekage fell limply to the ground.

_They're not human at all._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

It felt like the world froze in place as Gaara fell and the world sped up again when Sakura heard the soft crunch of his body hitting the gravel and Ino's cruel laughter, feeling her whole body turn cold and her blood turn to ice in hers veins with cold fury. Never before had Sakura wanted to kill someone so badly.

"Dammit, Sasuke!" Sakura shrieked hysterically, thrashing against Karin's grip frantically, ignoring the hot tears streaming down her face as she tried to free herself from the redhead's powerful grasp.

Sasuke gazed blankly at her tear stained cheeks while Ino wrapped her arms around his torso from behind. "Stop struggling," was all he said and Sakura screamed at him with fury and frustration, baring her fangs at him, growling and wailing loudly from the pain in her heart, like a piece of her soul had just been ripped from her body. She let her head fall forward, her hair falling forward to hide her face while she wept.

"Let go, Neji!" Tenten screamed at her captor and Karin sniggered. "It's not like he actually cares about you anymore. Just give up struggling like his cousin over here." Sakura could hear Hinata weeping softly as Kiba watched her, his face impassive. Tenten stilled and fell silent, realising that struggling was just a waste of time. Neji was too strong.

Sakura froze and went rigid with wide eyes trained on the gravel in front of her when she felt energy return to her limbs as Karin loosened her grasp.

"Let's go!" Ino snapped before sneering down at Sakura as she walked passed her. "Leave the human to her grief. We can kill her another day. I want her to suffer." Sakura heard Karin snigger from behind but she watched the ground numbly, not reacting. Tenten spat at Ino's feet when Neji released her but the brunette didn't attack once she was free. She stayed on her knees and watched Sakura's horrified and shocked face with concern.

"Come, Sasuke!" Karin called, releasing Sakura's arms, and Sasuke followed obediently after Ino with Kiba, Neji and a sniggering Karin in tow. The five of them became blurs and vanished into the darkness. Sakura didn't care. The instant she felt Karin's grip relax, she ran to Gaara, her mind blank and numb and her vision blurred by tears of anguish and grief. She lost the sense of her surroundings, there was only Gaara.

She fell onto her knees beside him when she reached him. A huge bleeding hole on the left side of his chest gaped at her from where his heart had been and Sakura knew, with a bitter feeling, that he had died the moment he had whispered her name. She sank her teeth into the soft flesh of her arm and pressed the bleeding bite mark to his lips before letting her arm drop to her side when he didn't drink, the mark healing itself. She couldn't heal something that wasn't there.

She felt too numb to cry now as she held the fallen Kazekage's head in her lap, stroking his wild, red hair and lightly brushing her cheeks with her fingertips. Sakura reached out, her face a blank mask, and gripped the small vial of her blood hanging around his neck gently. _What was the point of having this?_

A trembling hand touched her shoulder nervously. "Sakura, it's almost sunrise," Hinata whimpered, her left eye swollen shut from where Neji had struck her and the cut on her shoulder staining the white lace of her hoodie a dark red. "We need to take the Kazekage back to the Sand to be buried by his people."

Tenten growled as she lightly prodded the deep wound in her side, shutting her eyes tightly with pain as her fingers came away red and bloody.

"Those bitches will pay," she snarled through clenched teeth, her fangs bared with fury before her face contorted with sorrow as her eyes fell on Gaara.

"They're both gone," Sakura murmured, barely hearing what her friends were saying. "Come, Sakura," Tenten pleaded, leaning heavily against Hinata, her skin coated with a thin layer of sweat as her hand clutched her side tightly. "Tenten, that wound," Hinata squeaked, "Use the vial around your neck!"

Tenten nodded weakly.

"That's probably a good idea," she exhaled shakily, bringing the vile to her lips and swallowing the blood in one go, a relieved sigh escaped her as the wound healed and her strength returned to her. "You should drink yours, Hinata." The willowy girl shook her head. "These wounds aren't life threatening-" she stopped in midsentence, her silver eyes widening. Tenten's eyes followed where her friend was looking and the brunette gasped.

"Sakura!" She hissed and Sakura looked up and gaped at the enormous fox padding lightly towards her, forgetting her grief momentarily from surprise.

It was larger than a _large_ dog, the biggest fox Sakura had ever seen, and it stopped in front of her and bowed its silky head before looking up at her with bright, blue and intelligent eyes that said, "_Move"_

"It's, you," Sakura breathed incredulously, "How did you grow so _big_?" The fox gave her the silent order again and Sakura stood wearily to join her friends, her legs feeling like they could collapse again at any given moment.

The fox brushed Gaara's kanji with its black nose, its eyes sorrowful and sad. Tenten frowned with confusion while Hinata and Sakura watched in silence. "Does the fox know him?" Hinata breathed and Sakura nodded sadly, "I think he does." _Gaara. I'm so sorry. _

_I couldn't save you. _

Sakura closed her eyes tightly when the world began to spin as a wave of nausea overtook her. "I think," she breathed, gripping Tenten's shoulder tightly; "I think I'm going into shock." Her knees gave out and she glimpsed a flash of red as the fox moved toward her before her eyes closed and she collapsed onto her knees. She fell forward as Tenten hissed and Hinata squeaked with astonishment, but she couldn't understand why.

Sakura didn't hit the gravel though, she felt strong and warm arms wrap around her as she fell against something warm and solid. She breathed in a pleasant and earthy scent and opened her eyes curiously as the nausea and dizziness subsided.

The boy holding her had soft, spiky golden hair and warm, tanned skin and Sakura straightened up to look at his face, her arms wrapped around his bare, muscle-toned torso to support herself. The sharp, bright-blue eyes of the fox stared back at her, two sapphires set into a beautiful and feral looking face.

"It's you," she breathed with astonishment and the boy watched her with a serious face and nodded. "You're the fox." Sakura reached up to touch his cheek, just to make sure the boy was really there and he released her and stood before offering her his hand. She took it wordlessly and he pulled her lightly to her feet.

Sakura couldn't bring herself to feel afraid because she _knew _the boy, the fox. She trusted him just as he had proven he had trusted her after weeks of visiting the tracks before she hadn't gotten herself in way above her head in a war between the supernatural.

"He's a Druid," Tenten murmured, keeping her distance and watching him wearily.

"You're a Druid?" Sakura asked softly and he nodded. "Animal-shifters. My clan and I take the forms of foxes."

"There's _more _of you?" Tenten gasped incredulously and the boy nodded again before moving to crouch beside Gaara with a pained and grave expression. "He was my friend." Sakura felt his grief.

"How was a _Druid _friends with the Kazekage?" Tenten demanded and the boy looked up at her with large and blue eyes with slitted, fox-like, pupils. "He was once a Druid. The raccoon" Sakura's eyes widened with confusion and surprise and her companions frowned as what he said sunk in.

"I'll explain," the boy said quietly, gently folding Gaara's arms over his chest respectfully. "His mother was a Druid." Tenten's eyes widened with understanding.

"She fell in love with the previous Kazekage; Gaara's father. They had three children. Temari and Kankuro, both vampires. Gaara was born a Druid." The boy paused. "His mother died from illness and Gaara was seized by the Akatsuki before they made him into a vampire, under his father's orders before he too died, knowing that his son would never be accepted any other way. He hated everyone after that. Despite his father's efforts, no one accepted him. Even his own siblings were weary of him. " Sakura crouched beside the boy and brushed Gaara's fringe form his eyes. "So that's what he meant," she murmured. _So much pain._

"He was going to commit suicide," the boy said in a low voice, "By jumping into the sunlight. But I stopped him before he could do it. I told that he had formed a bond with me. I helped him."

Sakura looked up at him with understanding. "It was you. You were the friend he told me about when I first met him." The boy nodded and Sakura's face contorted as fresh tears leaked from her eyes. "I'm so sorry I couldn't help him." She felt the boy's warm hand on her shoulder. "Do not blame yourself for something you couldn't control. You are not a vampire."

"I hate how people keep saying that," she muttered darkly.

"Sakura, we have to go," Tenten warned, pointing to the sun rising slowly over the horizon. "But Gaara-" Sakura started frantically before the boy silenced her. "Go. Return here tonight, and bring his siblings. I will take Gaara."

"But he needs to be with his people," Hinata squeaked and the boy growled. "The _Druids _are his people." Hinata nodded meekly.

"Sakura!" Tenten snapped frantically, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her to her feet before dragging her desperately through the carriages to the one that concealed the entrance to the Sand just as the suns golden rays flooded the abandoned railway.

Sakura rubbed the red finger marks on her arm and wiped the tears from her eyes. "The sunlight probably won't kill you, Sakura. But it will probably burn you badly," Hinata explained apologetically. Sakura looked at Hinata's eye and bit into the soft flesh of her arm before gesturing to the bleeding mark. "Drink. Save the vial for an emergency." Hinata obeyed and it wasn't long before her eye looked normal again.

"Come," Sakura said seriously as she started down the steps with a bitter and grim feeling running through her. She choked back tears. "We need to tell the Sand what happened to their Kazekage. And tell Temari and Kankuro what happened to their brother."

xxxxxxx

"The Kazekage's _dead_?" Mei knuckles turned white from gripping the wooden table's edge so hard, "That wasn't part of the _plan,_ Ino Yamanaka! You said you only wanted to find the entrance to the Sand!"

Ino rolled her eyes and shrugged. "He died by Sasuke's hands, not mine, Mizukage."

"It might as well have been _your hands_," Mei growled, baring her fangs as the wood cracked and splintered under the force of her grip. "Sasuke Uchiha is being _controlled._ By _you_." The blonde sat up sharply and Sasuke turned his blank, dark eyes to the brunette sitting beside the window.

"Need I doubt your loyalties, Mizukage?" Ino's voice was low, threatening and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously and bared her fangs in warning. Sasuke growled warningly from beside her.

Mei composed herself and forced herself to reply through clenched teeth. "You still have the alliance of the Mist. My loyalty is still to you."

"Good," Ino snapped, pulling Sasuke down roughly to sit beside her on the couch and stretching herself, catlike, across his lap. Mei sniffed disdainfully at Ino's actions and turned her attention to the window beside her.

"Did the Kazekage mean something to you, Mizukage?" Karin asked carefully and curiously and Mei didn't turn away from the window. "He was still only a youngling." _He didn't deserve to die._

xxxxxxx

"You look distraught, Mei," Tsunade rasped dryly as the Mizukage crouched centimetres away from the silver bars of the Hokage's prison cell underneath the Uchiha Compound. Tsunade lay centimetres from the bars, thin, weak and dressed in rags, nothing like her former self.

"Are you thirsty, Tsunade?" Mei whispered and the Hokage nodded, desperation flashing momentarily through her golden eyes. "I'm always thirsty down here." Mei tossed a medium sized, glass vial through the bars which Tsunade caught in her hand with lightning fast reflexes. "This was the best I could do. It's rabbit." The Hokage uncapped the vial and downed its contents in seconds and sighed with satisfaction, the blood running down the corners of her mouth and down her neck. "Thank you." She breathed. There was a moment of silence before the Mizukage decided to deliver the grim news. It was the reason she was now down there in the dungeons without Ino's knowledge.

"The Kazekage is dead," Mei said in a low voice and Tsunade sat up sharply, shock clearly written across her withdrawn face, framed by messy and tangled strands of blonde hair. A look that didn't suit the once beautiful woman, in Mei's opinion.

"_Dead?!_" She demanded, horrified and Mei nodded. "Ino Yamanaka had Sasuke Uchiha kill the boy on the outskirts of Suna only a few hours ago."

"He was still so young," Tsunade whispered. "And the wisest of the Kage," Mei agreed sadly. "Is Sakura alright?" Tsunade asked with concern, handing the vial back to the Mizukage through the bars. "Is she still _alive_?"

"She barely escaped with her life. Ino almost had Sasuke kill her too. I believe Gaara was protecting her before…" Mei trailed off. "Ino will make her move against the Sand soon, Tsunade. The only thing stopping her is that she cannot find the entrance," she said seriously. "They are heavily outnumbered."

"This is my fault," Tsunade muttered and the Mizukage raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I shouldn't have gotten her involved with our kind," The Hokage said, her voice filled with the regret that Mei could also see in her large, honey eyes. "I shouldn't have made her stay here, tried to train her, tried to make her one of us, tried to involve her in this war-"

"You gave her a choice," Mei cut her off sharply, "The human chose this all on her own. She chose not to be ignorant. She made the decision when she allowed Sasuke Uchiha to bring her here. Nobody forced her to come here, Tsunade. She could have just walked away."

"But I encouraged it. And Sakura isn't the kind of person to 'just walk away'."

"Even so," Mei said seriously, "What life would she have gone back to? The human was practically an orphan based on what I've gathered. Always alone and wasting away her days in that tiny apartment up on the surface."

"You do hear a lot, don't you?" Tsunade said dryly, "Just how many spies did you have in the Leaf before all this?" Mei chuckled, "Only as many as you had in the Mist, Hokage." There was another moment of silence before the Hokage decided to speak.

"How long will you be able to keep this up, Mei?" Tsunade asked seriously and Mei's amused smirk faded to a grave and grim expression. "I had to go along with the Yamanaka's plan to find the Sand Village before the little bitch got side tracked by her revenge and decided to abandon the plan in order to fulfil her sadistic desires. The best I could do was call off the Akatsuki and force those girls to leave the Leaf before they got themselves killed for nothing."

"What will you do, Mizukage?" Tsunade mused darkly and Mei fastened the vial in the hidden folds of her lace sleeves. "I can only hope that the human is as strong as you say, Hokage," she said in a low voice. "And that Ino hasn't broken her."

"Sakura is too strong for that," Tsunade murmured as Mei stood. "I will free you, soon, Tsunade, and we'll find a way out of this hellhole and escape back to the Mist," Mei headed for the steps that would lead her back up to the Leaf's surface.

"And I will help the human."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"You want us to meet with the _Druids_?" Temari hissed, grief clearly evident in her voice, dark lines of smudged mascara and eyeliner marked the paths of her tears down her cheeks.

They were standing in Gaara's office, and explaining how Gaara had been killed by Ino and Sasuke to his siblings had been one of the most painful things Sakura had ever had to do. She couldn't help but feel that every time the blonde's eyes fell on her, she was being accused, blamed for Gaara's death, but Sakura ignored it.

Temari wiped her eyes and snarled, baring her fangs, "Druids are vermin, _outcasts. _Vampires don't associate themselves with the likes of them. They're useless, just like hu-" Hinata and Tenten froze when Sakura went rigid and Temari stopped herself before she could finish, her dark eyes widening in shock as her anger subsided. She looked at Sakura guiltily, "I-"

"Like _humans_?" Sakura said in a low voice, and a growl escaped her, furious and from low in her throat. Temari stuttered and looked to her brother for help and got none from the silent boy beside her. "No, that's not what I-"

_Humans will always seem weak to them._

"I think you're wrong," Sakura said darkly, narrowing her eyes at the blonde and baring her sharp canines "And don't forgot, Temari. Your _brother_ was a Druid. And _I _am a human."

Temari's eyes fell, "I… know," she muttered and fell silent.

"What do you want us to do, Sakura?" Kankuro asked seriously, his pretty face revealing none of the pain Sakura knew he was feeling, and all eyes in the room fell on her.

"Tonight we will meet with the Druid as he requested," Sakura said firmly, still seething and trying to remain calm, "It's that simple."

"Then it will be down," Kankuro said, bowing his head in consent and taking his trembling sister gently by the arm. "You should rest now. We'll meet you by the tunnel at sundown."

"Thank you," Sakura said shortly and stalked out of the room and slamming the door loudly behind her, Tenten and Hinata close at her heels.

The three girls heard the door open again. "Sakura!" Temari called down the hall, her voice anguished, but Sakura didn't turn around and ignored the blonde. _"They're useless, just like humans." That was what she had been about to say. _Sakura snarled as they crossed the street and stomped up the steps to her apartment. She could understand that Temari had been angry and grieving over her younger brother, but to say something like that.

"I can't believe she said that," Tenten said in a low voice as Sakura threw the door open violently and stalked inside.

"Anger makes people say things they don't really mean," Hinata reasoned softly, standing beside Tenten in the doorway. "You'll forgive her, Sakura." Sakura stopped pacing the living room and sighed. "Of course I will but, it's just," she gazed up at her friends worriedly, "Are humans truly so weak to all of you?"

"Not to us," Tenten said seriously, "You proved us wrong."

"And trust us, Sakura," Hinata said, her silver eyes large, "No one believes that anymore."

"Go rest yourselves," Sakura tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out looking more like a grimace. The two vampires nodded their understanding and vanished, the door closing behind them.

Now alone, Sakura sank to her knees as her legs gave out from underneath her. _Gaara. _Now she could grieve in peace. She didn't have to stop the tears this time as she hunched over and wept into the floor, curling up into a ball and wailing incoherently.

_Thank you. Thanking you for saving my life._

xxxxxxx

Karin watched the two figures making out in the corner with annoyance before lowering her head to read over the reports spread out across the desk in front of her and adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose.

She found Ino's way of showing off her power over Sasuke Uchiha infuriating, especially since the blonde no longer let Karin get anywhere near him. She heard Ino moan softly as Sasuke's lips moved down to her neck and Karin snorted with disgust before standing abruptly, gathering up the files and stalking from the room in search of a less distracting place to finish her work.

"Something the matter?" Mei Terumi fell into step beside her and Karin huffed, flicking a strand of red hair out of her face. "I just don't see how Ino expects me to finish all this paperwork for her with her and Sasuke making out all over the place. It annoys me. It's not like he even actually _wants _to."

"How vulgar," the Mizukage muttered disdainfully, looking the redhead over, "You seem troubled, youngling."

Karin stopped walking and leaned her back against the wall, holding the reports against her chest, doubt tugging once again at the edge of her mind. Being a naturally cautious person, being in doubt was a feeling Karin did _not _bode well with. "Something feels wrong," she muttered and Mei glanced at her sharply. "Wrong?"

Karin took a breath before continuing, deciding that it was okay to speak her mind. "It's Ino's energy. It doesn't feel like it used to anymore." Mei frowned, "How so?" Karin shivered. "It's so cold now, and dark. It never used to feel this way. And I don't think she trusts me anymore. She spends half her time whispering things to Sasuke and barely tells me anything these days. She acts like I'm her friend sometimes and then at other times, it's like I'm just a nuisance to her. I can't stand it!" Karin hissed with frustration. "I just don't understand what's happening anymore."

"So it's started," Mei murmured with understanding and Karin looked up at the tall woman curiously. "What do you mean, Mizukage?" Mei patted the girl's head. "You will find the answers you seek soon, youngling. That, I can guarantee." She started walking away. "Feel free to finish your work in my chambers if you need somewhere quiet," She called airily from over her shoulder and vanished around a corner, leaving Karin feeling more confused than before. _Does she know something I don't? Probably_, she thought bitterly, adjusting the files in her arms and continuing down the corridor to the bedroom she had shared with Ino before the blonde had moved into Sasuke's room instead. The Mizukage had acted carefree, but Karin could tell that the woman had been deep in thought after they had parted ways.

_I hope I didn't make a mistake by telling her those things._

Karin yawned tiredly and placed the reports down on the desk in the far corner of the room before changing into a loose shirt and gym shorts before getting into bed. She closed her eyes and saw the Kazekage's face, so stunned and resigned before the image changed to Sasuke with his arm lodged in the Kazekage's chest. The sound of his body hitting the gravel rang painfully through her ears before Sakura's horrified and pain filled face flashed across her eyes. The anguish and despair in the human's eyes was too much for Karin to bear and the redhead shrieked and sat up sharply, sweating as a cold and icy feeling of horror trickled down her spine and through the rest of her body.

She reached up to touch her cheeks and felt them wet with tears. Her chest tightened as it became harder for her to breath and her breaths became frantic as she gripped the sheets tightly.

_What have I done?_

xxxxxxx

Ino handed Sasuke the small, red pill and sat down on the corner of his bed, smoothing out the small, silk nightdress she was wearing.

"Eat it," She instructed and Sasuke obeyed wordlessly, glancing briefly at her almost-fully exposed body with a blank expression as he swallowed the pill.

Ino waited impatiently and then smirked with satisfaction as the pill took effect and saw Sasuke's dark eyes suddenly cloud over with lust and desire. Desire for _her_. He took an uncertain step toward her; glazed eyes suddenly glued to her slender body with slight and adorable confusion, and Ino spread her legs teasingly and purred, "Want something, Sasuke?"

He was in front of her in seconds, his eyes hungry with lust. He climbed onto the bed and propped himself up over her before claiming her lips and mouth forcefully. Ino pulled his shirt over his head and allowed her hands to leisurely explore the taut muscle before winding her arms tightly around his neck and drawing him closer to her. _Mine, _she thought possessively, but the small, dry voice in the back of her mind told her, _"But he doesn't really love you, does he?"_

_Be quiet, _she hissed but it continued mercilessly. _"Do you really think forcing him to love you will make him truly love you in the end?"_

_Shut up! _she screamed, digging her nails into Sasuke's back so hard that they drew blood.

Ino snarled against Sasuke's mouth and pushed the evil voice from her mind. Her hands fisted in his hair when his lips left hers and travelled downwards. "Ino," he murmured into her neck as his tongue and fingers traced fiery patterns across her skin, his lean body pressing hard against hers and making her shiver with thrills. "Sasuke," Ino breathed, gripping his hair tightly and moaning as his tongue traced her jaw. She tugged on his hair and pulled his head up to claim his lips again.

_Sakura could never make him feel this way, you don't know anything._

"_But at least he actually loves her."_

xxxxxxx

Mei tossed the vial of deer's blood through the bars of the cell and Tsunade caught it deftly. "How often do they check on the prisoners down here?" The Mizukage asked in a low voice as Tsunade downed the vial's contents quickly before licking the scarlet blood left on her lips. "They don't."

Mei was sceptical. "At all?"

"At all," Tsunade confirmed with a firm nod of her head, tossing the vial back and raising a curious eyebrow as the tall woman tossed her a second vial. "Two visits in a row is uncommon for you, Mei. How have you managed to slip away so easily?"

"The Yamanaka girl is distracted as of late," Mei shrugged, "It hasn't been difficult task." Tsunade flexed her fingers experimentally. "I see."

"I have news that you may find interesting, however," The Mizukage said and Tsunade looked up at her seriously, recognising the serious tone in her friend's voice and understanding that it was something important. She sipped the blood slowly, wanting to saviour it, knowing that it may be days before the Mizukage found another opportunity to see her.

"The human," Mei said softly, "She has Healer's Blood, like you." Tsunade choked and spat out the blood currently in her mouth. Mei hissed when a drop landed on the silk sleeve of her gown. "This is going to _stain_, Tsunade, this is _silk,_" she growled in irritation as her friend sputtered and gasped from the other side of the silver bars.

"She inherited my powers," the Hokage breathed with disbelief, "Do you know how rare it is for that to happen?"

"Extremely," Mei said dryly, catching the vial as Tsunade threw it back to her before hiding it in her sleeve. "How many have you managed to bathe," she asked quietly and Tsunade bit into the soft flesh of her thin arm roughly and swung it out in front of her so that her blood coated another one of the silvers bars that kept her from escaping. "Three," she replied as the wound on her arm slowly healed and the blood on the bar hissed and evaporated into the cold air.

"So few?" Mei sniffed and Tsunade growled. "I'm weak, Mei. A vial of blood every few days isn't enough for me to be able to bathe them all in one go. I'd ask you to do it but the loss of blood would probably kill you, and I'm too weak to heal you. Healer's Blood or not."

"Is that you, Mizukage?" a soft voice called from a cell further down the walkway. Mei stood and walked to where the voice had come from. "Yes, Mikoto Uchiha," she said softly and the dark haired woman reached out a trembling hand from through the bars. "Sasuke," she whispered, "Is he alive? Is he alright? Do you know?"

"He is alive, be grateful of that," was all Mei said and the pretty woman's eyes widened with realisation as her thin arm dropped back to her side. "My son," Mei heard her whisper over and over as she walked quickly back to Tsunade's cell.

"Not long now, Tsunade. I promise," she said quickly and made for the steps quickly, trying to ignore Mikoto's loud wails of despair.

xxxxxxx

Sakura gasped as she woke on her living room floor, shivering, and her face still damp with tears. She felt stiff from lying in the same position for so long and stood up to stretch the tension from her muscles and moved to the bathroom to shower.

The nightmares had woken her, just as they did every night, but what disturbed Sakura the most was that this time Karin had been one screaming instead of her.

She dressed into an identical outfit to the one she had been wearing before and rushed through the Sand at top speed to the entrance tunnel to meet Temari and Kankuro. They were already there waiting for her and Tenten and Hinata arrived shortly after.

Temari didn't say anything as they ascended through the tunnel but Sakura could feel the blonde's dark eyes constantly on her as they ran. They reached the staircase and the group followed Sakura to the surface. She led them out of the dark and cool carriage and to the spot where they had seen the Druid boy last.

Gaara wasn't there anymore, just as Sakura had expected but that didn't stop a painful pang from stabbing her chest, leaving a dull and painful ache in its wake.

There was a soft rustle from the bushes in front of them, and the fox slunk out slowly and cautiously. It looked up at Sakura with bright, blue eyes before suddenly; the blonde boy was standing before them in the fox's place, bare chested and barefooted, wearing dark jeans.

Sakura felt Temari tense from beside her and squeezed the vampire's cold hand comfortingly. Temari gave her a grateful and apologetic smile, which Sakura returned before releasing her hand and turning back to the boy.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he said to the group, tilting his had in acknowledgment, a gesture that the group returned, and looking at the two Sand siblings. "Your brother was very special friend to me," he said sincerely and Temari nodded, and Sakura could see that she was fighting back tears.

"I am truly sorry for your loss," he said softly and Kankuro nodded sadly. "Thank you."

"Come," Naruto turned and began walking back toward the bushes he had appeared from. "I will take you to him so that you may say your goodbyes."

The group stopped in front of the bushes and marvelled at the dark tunnel leading into the ground, completely identical to the one inside the carriage, only slightly smaller.

"Will the Druids allow this?" Temari asked Naruto softly and he nodded, taking her hand and helping her find the steps.

"We are not your enemy."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sakura followed Naruto and the group down the long flight of stairs and into the earth in order to meet the mysterious beings known as Druids. The cool and humid air smelt earthy and pleasant and their surroundings grew darker as they travelled further underground, but the walls spread further apart and Sakura was relieved at the increased amount of space, feeling that it was now easier for her to breath.

No one spoke and Sakura felt curious at Temari's earlier reactions to the animal-shifters. Most vampires, it seemed, disliked Druids and Gaara's mistreatment by others had clearly been caused by the fact that he had been a Druid before becoming a vampire. Temari had called them weak and useless but looking at Naruto walking in front of her, with his wisdom and humility and his exposed, lean and muscular body, Sakura couldn't bring herself to believe those statements.

They reached the bottom of the stairs and continued forward through yet another dark tunnel before it opened up into the most beautiful place Sakura had ever seen.

The enormous stone cavern was lit by pale, silver-blue crystals and Sakura heard the soft rustle of overgrown, emerald green grass, decorated with thistles and small flowers beneath their feet as they walked amongst green forests of large weeping willow trees lining glistening water springs and small houses made from wood and stone.

"Incredible," she heard Tenten whisper to Hinata in awe and couldn't help but agree as she took in the pure and natural beauty of her surroundings.

Druids looked up at them both curiously and wearily as they passed and Sakura noticed that all of them had the same feral and untamed look about them that Naruto had.

"Where is Gaara?" Temari asked quickly, her eyes darting around nervously as they registered the strangers watching them as they passed.

"I have to bring you to see my father first," Naruto explained, "All outsiders are required to meet with the Chief."

"Your father's the chief?" Sakura asked and the blonde boy nodded with a small smile. "The Fourth Chief."

"Only the _fourth_?" She exclaimed incredulously at the small number and Naruto's blue eyes darkened as he looked forward and led the way. "Like vampires, my people live long."

_They're immortal. _

Temari sniffed disdainfully and Kankuro growled at her warningly. Naruto ignored them and stopped in front of what looked like a large, stone hall and led them through the wide wooden doors. Sakura glanced at the intricate carvings and artwork etched masterfully into the dark wood and wondered what the strange and pretty images meant.

A tall and incredibly handsome man with Naruto's wild golden hair and bright-blue fox eyes met them at the end of the wide hall, lit by candles, and bowed his head in acknowledgment with a gentle smile on his feral face. "Welcome. Vampires and human. I am Minato." The group returned the gesture and waited for the Chief to speak again, surprised at his lack of hostility.

His wise eyes were sad when he gestured to the stone archway to their left. "You will find the Kazekage through there. You may say your final farewells before he is buried by your mother's family. As is tradition." Temari nodded weakly and Kankuro took his sister's hand. Minato bowed to the two Sand siblings again, humbly and sincerely. "I am truly sorry for your loss. Please accept my condolences. Gaara was loved greatly by our people and will be greatly missed."

"Thank you," Temari whispered and allowed Kankuro to guide her through the archway. Sakura didn't follow and Tenten and Hinata stayed by her side. "There is something I must speak with you about," she told the Druid Chief seriously and Naruto chuckled at the determination in her voice. Minato looked at her knowingly and nodded. "I am already aware of what it is, but let us talk in a more private place." Sakura shot Naruto a questioning and surprised glance as the Chief led them further down the hall and into a medium sized room.

A wooden desk stood on the far side of the room, opposite the door, and Minato took his seat behind it. Sakura was reminded of the Kages' offices back in the Hidden Villages and decided that the Chief was basically a Kage himself, but for the Druids instead of vampires.

"Ino Yamanaka cannot be forgiven for what she has done," Minato said seriously as Naruto moved to stand at his father's side, his expression grave. The Chief's eyes hardened with anger. "She has killed a Druid in cold blood and broke the ancient agreement of our two species, made long ago by the Founders of our two kinds."

"I never knew of this agreement," Tenten said in a low voice and Minato replied darkly. "Younglings wouldn't," he explained. "Vampires chose to stop acknowledging Druids a long time ago." Sakura watched the two vampires standing next to her drop their eyes guiltily and stepped forward. "So does that mean that the Druids will help us and the Village Hidden in the Sand fight this war?" She asked and the Chief nodded his head. "That is correct. We ally ourselves to your cause." Sakura felt her heart leap with relief and felt her pulse speed up at the new possibilities.

"Vampires and Druids will fight alongside each other again for the first time in one thousand years. In the Fourth Great War," Naruto said and his father nodded. "My son speaks the truth."

_The Fourth Great War._

xxxxxxx

"You keep staring at me, Karin," Ino said suspiciously, raising a questioning eyebrow and Karin looked away before mumbling something to herself and fidgeting with the paperwork spread out in front of her.

"I can't hear you if you mumble, Karin!' Ino snapped impatiently and Karin could feel her hands shaking, no longer able to keep her distressed thoughts to herself. "You killed a _Kage_, Ino," she breathed and Ino frowned, surprised by the redhead's distressed tone. "Sasuke did it, and you _helped_, remember?" Karin cringed at the memory and the blonde shrugged casually, standing beside a wide window on the far end of the room. "It's a war. You kill people to win. That's how it works."

Karin glanced behind her at Sasuke guarding the door with a blank face and felt her chest tighten. _You kill people to win._

"But what exactly will you be _winning_?" She asked in a low voice and Ino kept her gaze on the window, her eyes filled with a manic emotion Karin couldn't really describe. "Power," she said darkly, her voice quiet, "Respect. Sasuke. _Everything_."

_Why did I never realise how corrupted she is? _Karin asked herself bitterly, her thoughts a confused muddle as she attempted to sort through them. It almost felt as though a veil had been lifted from her senses, like she could see everything properly and clearly for the first time.

"But you killed the Kazekage to make the human suffer," she said quietly and Ino chuckled, "True. But what is a Village without its Kage? Eliminating him will help us to achieve our goal in the long run."

"_Our _goal?" Karin whispered, but Ino heard her and turned to look at the redhead curiously. "Well, it's mostly _my _goal, but you stand to benefit too."

"_How exactly_ do _I_ benefit?" Karin hissed and Ino flipped her hair nonchalantly. "Power gained from being friends with the next Overlord isn't something to laugh at," she said matter-of-factly and Karin growled angrily and pointed at Sasuke. "Sasuke was supposed to be for the _both_ of us." Ino's relaxed stance tensed and the blonde rolled her eyes. "I lied, Karin. Honestly, I thought redheads were supposed to be smart."

Karin hissed at the insult and stood abruptly, throwing the table away from her roughly, the force of her strength causing it to hit the wall opposite her so that the wood cracked and split in half. "You can't do that!"

Ino took a fighting stance and frowned, snarling and baring her sharp fangs. "You're either with me, or against me, Karin. And if you're against me, you _die_."

"_Die_?!" Karin squeaked with disbelief, taking a step backwards towards the door and freezing when she heard Sasuke growling from behind her, unable to recognise the blonde girl standing in front of her. _This isn't Ino anymore. This Ino is evil and corrupted by power that shouldn't be hers._

_I need to get myself out of this situation_, she thought, silently planning how to do so before coming to her decision. She fell to her knees and felt her body shake as tears leaked from her eyes and ran down her cheeks. "_Forgive me_," she sobbed, hating herself for having to be weak, but knowing that it was the only way to avoid Ino's wrath. "I don't know what came over me, please forgive me," she begged and watched as the blonde's furious expression softened with smug satisfaction. "Rise, Karin. All is forgiven," Ino said airily, "But just remember. Sasuke's _mine._"

Karin scrambled to her feet, "Of course, Ino," she stuttered, hastily picking up the scattered documents from the floor and hurriedly moving towards the door. "I have to deliver these documents," she said apologetically and Ino waved her hand dismissively, "It's fine, you may go."

The redhead fled from the room and ran blindly down the corridor and stopped when she was sure she was a safe enough distance away from the room she had just been in. She adjusted her glasses and pressed her back heavily against the wall behind her as she allowed what had just happened to sink in.

Ino had been completely prepared to kill her, without any hesitation. _And she would have killed me too if I hadn't pretended to grovel at her feet, _she thought bitterly, clutching the papers in her arms tightly against her chest. _I don't know who that is anymore._

"Feel like talking about it, youngling?"

Karin looked up to see the Mizukage standing in front of her, her expression one of concern, and realised that she was crying.

"I shouldn't," she whispered and Mei brought her hand to her mouth and gestured zipping it and then locking it with an imaginary key. "I won't tell anyone. My lips are sealed, youngling."

Karin released a shuddery breath. "I've made so many mistakes by helping Ino with this insane plan of hers," she whimpered, "I can't believe I never saw how _wrong_ all of this was until now."

Mei watched her with a grim expression and spoke in a low and serious voice. "Can I tell you a secret, child?" Karin looked up at the tall woman curiously and nodded. Mei was silent for a moment, lost in thought, before she spoke.

"You've been under the control of the Yamanaka girl for quite some time now. By neglecting you, her control over you weakened until you finally broke free of it on your own. That is the only explanation from your rather _sudden _change of heart on the matter," the Mizukage explained quietly. "Until now you were simply just another one of Ino's pawns, a piece to be played in her twisted war that she seems to think of as a game."

Karin heard the papers and documents hit the ground as her arms fell to her sides in shock. The only thing she could do was gape at the woman in front of her in shock as the Mizukage's words sank in and realisation and understanding hit her hard.

She felt her legs give out and felt the wall move against her back as she sank to her knees, feeling the same icy feeling fill her veins and body, making her feel cold as the colour drained from her face.

_For all these years, _she thought numbly, staring blankly ahead of her at the wall opposite the one she was leaning against. She vaguely noticed the Mizukage crouched in front of her and trying to speak to her with a worried expression, but Karin couldn't hear her. _For all these years. _She closed her eyes when she felt two strong hands grip her shoulders.

_I've been a pawn._

xxxxxxx

Sakura ducked to avoid sharp claws and propelled herself backwards with the palms of her hands touching the soft grass as she back-flipped to gain more ground away from her opponent. Fighting a Druid was exhilarating because she didn't know what to expect and could only act on the instincts the Vampire's Blood had given her.

Yugito grinned widely at her with sharp, catlike, teeth and flicked her long, blonde braid back over her shoulder and adjusted her stance. "Not bad, human," she panted, narrowing her dark cat eyes and launching herself forwards through the air. The air shimmered around her slender form and then suddenly an enormous cat the size of a large lion, but a breed Sakura couldn't identify, was charging towards her instead of the slender and attractive blonde with long claws protruding from her fingertips.

Sakura growled and charged to meet the enormous, snarling animal head on, the resulting impact was powerful enough to shatter every bone in a regular human's body, but Sakura wasn't truly human anymore and the two opponents roughly hit the ground hard, clawing and thrashing and snarling at one another.

Sakura tasted blood in her mouth but ignored it and seized the thrashing cat around the neck from behind, but Yugito easily threw her off and attacked yet again, roaring loudly as she descended upon Sakura viciously.

Sakura kicked up, remembering the hours of practice she had put in back in her old home on the surface in order to make herself flexible, and caught the large cat in the ribs, hard, and Yugito flew backwards but still managed to land on her feet before charging once again. Sakura was impressed by the incredible stamina Druids seemed to possess and jumped back to her feet just as the cat reached her. The two tumbled to the ground once again and Sakura hissed as sharp claws raked her stomach and drew blood, leaving four long rips in her shirt. She felt a bone snap in the Druid's shoulder as her fist made contact with it and claws raked down her arm. The large cat shrieked loudly and Sakura knew that the fight was over.

The two opponents stilled and the air shimmered again as Yugito returned to her human form and snarled at her rapidly blackening shoulder. "Fuck, Sakura," she laughed, climbing gingerly to her feet as Sakura did the same. "You're one hell of a human, I can tell you that. Fuck!" she hissed as she lightly touched the bruising, watching with amazement as the claw marks on Sakura's body vanished, leaving only the blood as evidence to them ever even being there.

Sakura bit into her arm and allowed Yugito to drink from the bite mark after explaining to the appalled blonde that her blood had healing properties and the Druid hissed at the bone reset itself before she sighed with relief.

The two girls glanced over at the battles happening on opposite sides of them as Tenten fought a feisty Druid named Fuu and Hinata battled with a small boy named Yagura. Both appeared to be formidable foes and both battles were remarkably violent. Other Druids had stopped their daily routines to watch vampires and Druids spar with one another for the first time in a thousand years.

"Your companions fight well," Yugito commented and Sakura nodded with agreement as she watched her friends move with the skill and agility that could only come with being a fully-fledged vampire.

"The experience is good though," the blonde Druid said as she watched Tenten throw knives, silver blurs that shot from her hands while Fuu dodged well and retaliated by hitting the brunette with powerful blasts of air and sparkling dust that cut. Hinata dodged a powerful blast of water directed by Yagura from the water spring behind him and raced towards him, leaping over a second blast, her long hair billowing out behind her. Her large, silver eyes were wide with excitement and Yagura lashed out with the long staff he used as a weapon. Hinata dodged lithely, grabbing it with her hands and propelling herself over it, having already seen the attack coming with Byakugan

"Now we know what we'll be facing."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"_Animals!"_

"_Vermin!"_

"_Trespassers!"_

The Druids bristled and snarled at the insults and Sakura, Tenten, Hinata and the Sand Siblings were the only thing keeping fighting from breaking out between the two races on opposite sides of them.

"Enough!" Temari barked and the two groups fell silent but continued to glare at one another with open hostility.

"What is this, Sakura? Druids don't belong in vampire territory!" someone shouted. "How could you bring them here?" Someone else demanded loudly from the crowd of vampires and Sakura growled from low in her throat, glaring at the Sand's inhabitants with narrowed and deadly eyes.

"Have you _forgotten_," She said loudly, sharp canines bared and emerald eyes scanning the pale and pretty faces in front of her, "That we are at _war_? And that this war," she pointed to the Druids grouped behind her, "Isn't with them?" Neither group could come up with a reply and watched Sakura with wide eyes as she continued.

"Would it not be logical to accept the help of the Druidswhen the Sand is the only Hidden Village _not _under Ino Yamanaka's control? When we are so _obviously _outnumbered? When we are only one Village left against four others?" Sakura looked over at Temari and Kankuro and saw that they were watching her, and that their faces held nothing but respect and pride.

"Have you forgotten," she said in a low voice. "That your _Kazekage_ was a _Druid _before he was made into a vampire against his will?" The Druids hissed in acknowledgement from behind her and murmuring broke out amongst the vampires. "Yet you all still managed to accept him and that the Kazekage before him's _wife _was a Druid."

Sakura gestured at herself. "I am _human_ and yet you all still came to accept me as a friend and ally when I am neither a vampire nor a Druid."

Naruto stepped out of the crowd and moved to stand beside her, his face serious, and Sakura took his hand and pointed at the vampire group in front of her with her free hand as Tenten, Hinata, Kankuro and Temari also joined her side. "_Vampires _are our enemy in this war. Ino Yamanaka is a _vampire._ The Druid's are our allies. Learn to accept them or accept defeat."

There was a stunned and shocked silence before finally Baki, a vampire of the Sand, and Minato, the Chief of the Druids, both stepped forward, expressions humble. Baki extended his hand and Sakura smiled when Minato took it firmly and the two shook hands, sealing the first alliance between the two races since times long forgotten.

"That was amazing, Sakura," Tenten said in awe, "You just ended a one thousand year feud in a matter of minutes."

Sakura shrugged as she watched the two groups become a single group as both races started curious and nervous conversations with each other. "I only told them the truth, and besides, the Druids were already prepared to bury the hatchet. The vampires just needed the push."

"So what do we do now, Sakura Haruno?" Baki and Minato were looking at her now with serious and grave expressions which Sakura returned when she replied in a low voice. "First, we train and prepare for battle."

"And second?" Naruto asked and Sakura's eyes darkened at the thought of what was to come, all eyes were on her now.

"We make the first move."

xxxxxxx

"It's been a week since the death of the Kazekage," Ino hissed to her father and Mei Terumi watched with mild amusement at the disrespect the Yamanaka child was showing to her father, her _elder_. "Why hasn't Sakura _done _anything yet?"

"Strategy takes time to plan," Mei answered slowly and Ino turned to her with her hands on her hips. "And why haven't _you _done anything yet, Mizukage." Mei sniffed disdainfully but shrugged. "What has there been for me to do? I follow _your _orders, Ino Yamanaka."

Ignoring the tall woman's condescending tone, Ino registered this and flicked her long fringe from her eyes. "Then I want you to bring in half the vampires of the Mist," she snapped and Mei frowned darkly, annoyed by the child's arrogance, but consented. "It will be done."

"Good," Ino waved her hand dismissively. "This meeting is over. Leave."

Slighted by the blonde's disrespect, Mei stood and made for the door, "Come, Suigetsu," she called to the white-haired boy from the Mist who acted as her bodyguard and, with a toothy grin, the boy followed her out the door.

"I will kill that child one of these days," she seethed as they walked and Suigetsu sniggered. "She pisses you off that much? She's kinda hot thought."

"What do younglings know of war?" Mei snapped, ignoring his last comment and shoving a startled blonde from the Yamanaka clan out of her way as she turned a corner. "And not only that, but I'm forced to stay _here _when my village needs me."

They reached the door to her chambers and Suigetsu entered first to ensure that it was safe before holding the door for Mei to enter. She stretched herself out on the silk couch and snapped her fingers to get Suigetsu's attention.

"Mizukage?"

"Send a runner to the Mist to fulfil the Yamanaka child's wishes." He nodded. "And fetch me Karin."

The white-haired boy nodded again and disappeared before shortly reappearing with the blushing redhead at his side. Mei gestured at the chair in front of the couch she was lounging on and Karin wordlessly took a seat, her large ruby eyes curious and tired. Mei could also see that the redhead was resigned and her eyes had an emptiness to them now after learning the truth and Mei couldn't help but feel sad for her.

"What time is it, youngling?"

The questioned seemed to catch the girl off guard but she quickly recovered and replied. "Just after 5am."

Mei stood and nodded with satisfaction. "Everyone will be asleep soon. Suigetsu." Suigetsu handed her the black, medieval themed cloak hanging beside the door and handed a second one to Karin before pulling on his own and strapping his massive greatsword across his back. Mei pulled on her cloak and instructed Karin to do the same. "This will be easier than usual with you coming with us."

Karin pulled the cloak on, confused. "What are we doing?" Suigetsu grinned at her and stepped through the doorway to inspect the corridor. "You'll see. The coast is clear."

Mei nodded and moved toward the door. "Let's move."

xxxxxxx

Karin followed the Mizukage and Suigetsu through the Uchiha manor and down the steps to the room where the Yamanakas did their mind controlling and interrogation. This had been the room where Ino had first showed her Neji and Kiba before they had moved out to find the entrance to the Sand. She shuddered at the memories of that night and stopped when Kiba and Neji stepped from the shadows and barred their path.

"What are you doing down here?" Neji asked the three cloaked figures warningly, empty eyes narrowed with hostility and Kiba turned his blank gaze to Karin and she suddenly understood why the Mizukage had brought her with.

She pulled down her hood, revealing herself to them and placed her hands over her hips. She was Ino's right hand after all, or used to be at least.

"I have to fill out a report on the prisoners," she snapped, trying to keep her voice even and from shaking, "Ino's orders." The two boys nodded and immediately moved out of the way to let them pass and Karin exhaled with relief, glad that getting passed them had been easier that she had thought it would be.

"This is supposed to be secret business though, so you can't tell _anyone _you saw me down here. Is that understood?" Karin waited for the boys to nod again before following the Mizukage nervously through the door the two vampires had been guarding.

The air was significantly cooler through the door and Karin followed Mei down a long flight of cold, stone steps and into a cold and damp dungeon made from old and dark stone and lit by gloomy blue light. Suigetsu stopped by the stairs and stood guard while Karin and the Mizukage continued forward.

_I knew it was the dungeons. _They walked down the cells where most of Konoha's inhabitants watched them pass, dead-eyed and silent, until they stopped in front of a larger cell where a thin figure lay curled up on the floor.

The Mizukage moved aside and Karin choked and felt her breathing become more difficult from terror and guilt . "Lady Tsunade," she breathed and the Hokage looked up at her through the silver bars.

"So you brought her, Mei," Tsunade said quietly, looking nothing like the beautiful woman Karin remembered, and Mei nodded and tossed the Hokage a medium sized vial of blood through the bars. Tsunade uncapped it and downed its contents quickly before tossing the vial back to Mei. She smiled up at them with blood running down the corners of her mouth and Karin fought the urge to cry. "Hello, Karin."

"Lady Tsunade," she choked, sinking to her knees in front of the bars and Mei crouched beside her and handed the Hokage another vial. "I'm so sorry, Lady Tsunade," she sobbed and she felt Mei's hand on her shoulder while Tsunade watched her curiously.

"Such a sudden change of heart," the blonde woman murmured, finishing the contents of the second vial and passing it back through the bars, "But all has been forgiven. The Mizukage has told me everything."

Karin wiped her eyes and giggled at the thought of Mei and Suigetsu constantly coming down here without Ino knowing the whole time and somehow, knowing that the Mizukage was still on the human's side and that the Hokage had forgiven her, Karin felt slightly better. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

"How many?" Mei asked the blonde seriously and Tsunade grinned, a satisfied and feral smile that reminded Karin of Kiba before Ino had gotten a hold of him. "I only have one left."

Mei grinned back, "Excellent, Tsunade. The time is almost upon us, I can feel it."

"The time for what?" Karin asked, confused and Tsunade regarded her thoughtfully before nodding with a small smile. "I think we can tell her, Mei. She does have a role in this after all."

"Do you know which side you're on?" Mei asked in a low voice and Karin nodded seriously, never feeling so sure in her life.

"I'm on Sakura's side."

_I won't be Ino's pawn. Not anymore._

xxxxxxx

"The first squad has been deployed to Leaf Street," Naruto said. "Squad two is on their way after them."

"And the humans?" Sakura asked, feeling strange by referring to her kind in such a way.

"They haven't noticed a thing," Temari said rolling her eyes, strapping her fan to her back and moving to the door. "Good luck, Sakura. I'm going to join squad three now."

"Good luck," Sakura called as the blonde vanished to join the rest of their army gathered beneath the entrance tunnel's balcony. She finished strapping up the buckles on the front of her dark leather vest and laced up her combat boos while Tenten finished sharpening her knives and Hinata helped Naruto buckle his own vest. The leather was light and flexible which allowed easy movement and some protection.

Sakura looked through the window of the Kage's office and watched as squad three, being led by Temari at the front, vanished up the tunnel to the surface and squad four moved themselves into position.

"It's time to go," Tenten said, strapping the last of her knives to her belt and quickly fixing the two buns on her head. Sakura nodded, feeling nervous butterflies in her stomach. This moment had been a long time coming. Now, they would finally win back the Hidden Leaf and free all those imprisoned there. This would be the biggest battle Sakura had ever fought in since joining the world of the supernatural yet; she couldn't seem to bring herself to be afraid. The situation was too serious for fear.

She was human. Yes, but barely and she was strong now. She was still inexperienced, but she had learned a lot and this time, she wouldn't be fighting alone.

It wasn't long before her and her companions reached the tunnel.

"Ready, Sakura?"

"Let's do it."

_I'm coming, Sasuke._

xxxxxxx

"Ino," Sasuke's voice was emotionless and Ino stretched across the silk couch, catlike, and looked up at him standing by the door through half-lidded eyes. "What is it, darling?"

"One of your spies are back," he said blankly and Ino opened her large eyes fully with interest. "Let them in."

Sasuke opened the door and a small brunette rushed in, panting and Ino raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "What do you have to report?"

"Sakura's on the move!" The girl squeaked, her dark eyes wide. "The Sand is coming to take back the Leaf. Sakura has an army. They're coming-"

"When?" Ino hissed, her mouth curling upwards in a nasty smile. The Hidden Mist vampires had already arrived and paired up with the Light and Stone vampires, as well as the Leaf vampires she had under her control, Sakura's pathetic army wouldn't stand a chance.

_I'll crush them._

"Now," the girl said softly, almost guiltily, Ino noticed with a satisfied smirk. It wouldn't take them long to get there and she looked up at Sasuke.

"Go," she instructed him. "And when you see Sakura, I want you to rip out her heart and bring it to me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Ino," he said quietly and vanished. "Itachi!" Ino called and it didn't take long for the other brother to appear.

"Gather the Akatsuki and prepare my army for battle."

"Hn."

"And you," Ino looked up at the small spy and the girl stared back with wide, fearful eyes. She shrieked when her clothes caught on fire and the black fire consumed her completely in a matter of seconds, leaving only a sparkling pile of ash where she had stood only seconds before.

"Thank you Itachi," she said to the Uchiha before he vanished. She looked down at the ash and smiled nastily. "Your information was useful. It's a pity you knew too much but all the same,"

"Thank you, Matsuri."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A shriek echoed up the tunnel and Sakura frowned, suddenly anxious. _Could the fighting have started already?_

"Let's go," she said and ducked down the stairs with Naruto, Yugito, Tenten and Hinata close behind her. The sound of battle grew louder as they got closer and burst through the tunnel onto the concrete balcony. The five teammates froze at the sight below them. Druids in human form, using weapons, as well as huge animals of every kind were viciously fighting vampires, and vampires were fighting other vampires mercilessly. Snarling, growling and the loud roar of violent flames filled the huge, underground cavern like terrifying music.

"But how did she _know_?" Hinata breathed, shocked and Tenten growled, bristling, "She had spies obviously." Sakura nodded grimly and took a fighting stance as two Lightning vampires appeared in front of them, covered in blood and snarling. "This couldn't be avoided."

"We'll cover you, go!" Naruto raced towards the enemy, Yugito darting lithely beside him, and leapt, the air shimmering and suddenly an enormous fox joined by an equally huge cat fell upon the stunned enemy, bringing them down with such force that the concrete cracked beneath them as the opponents thrashed and tried to rip each other to pieces, snarling and growling loudly.

"Let's move!" Sakura shouted and the three girls bolted for the balcony's steep edge, not slowing down and leapt, just like they had done before, landing lightly in front of the complete chaos below.

Dead and wounded littered the ground like bleeding red roses and there wasn't a single street where there _wasn't _a battle for the kill happening_._ A large, white bird was circling from above and a male figure, Akatsuki, with long blonde hair was dropping white, clay bombs, also in the shapes of birds, on the warriors below.

"_Art is an explosion!" _he shrieked and Tenten snarled. "I hate that asshole."

"Enemy," Hinata hissed as they continued forward and a knife flew from Tenten's hand, hitting the Rock vampire so quickly Sakura hadn't even had the chance to do anything but it wasn't long before they were blocked by three vampires from the Yamanaka clan.

"Split," Tenten snarled and the three girls each raced toward an enemy. "Ino's been looking for you, human," a beautiful boy with long, pale blonde hair hissed, dodging as Sakura lashed out viciously and gripping her wrist tightly, about to throw her. Sakura took the opportunity to jump, landing on his shoulders before snapping his neck easily and leaping onto the next enemy. _They still underestimate me._

She saw Tenten fighting closely with a short sword in each hand, wielding them gracefully and deadly, matching each of her opponent's blows perfectly. _She really is a weapons expert, _Sakura thought grimly as she dodged her opponent's silver lance and saw Hinata dispatch her enemy quickly and cleanly with a sharp, energy enhanced blow to the stomach.

It wasn't long before the teammates were standing back to back, panting and covered with sweat, scratches and blood.

"Ino's soldiers are strong," Tenten exhaled, cleaning her blades on her shirt and fastening them to her back. "Let's go."

The three girls darted forward, weaving their way through the battles when suddenly; a watery arm and hand grabbed Hinata around the ankle. She hit the ground hard and cried out with pain as it dragged her backwards and frantically thrashing across the ground.

"Hinata!" Tenten screamed furiously, reaching for a knife but Hinata shook her head frantically, cuts and bruises appearing on her pale skin as she was dragged over sharp rocks and rubble.

"_Keep going_!" The willowy girl shrieked as she was dragged roughly into the violent fray and out of sight as another bomb went off close by and the two girls quickly regained their balance as the ground shock from the shockwave.

_No_. Sakura stood frozen in place, her skin prickling painfully as her friend disappeared and was roughly pulled out of her stupor when Tenten jerked her shoulder painfully and started to pull her forward by the arm. "This is a war," Tenten hissed, "This happens." But Sakura could see that the brunette was simply hiding what she truly felt.

The battles and fires grew fewer as they moved deeper into the Leaf, dispatching enemies as they went, the streets littered with charred wood and broken glass smashed from their window frames.

"Where is Ino?" Sakura demanded venomously, sitting on the chest of a slender Yamanaka boy, weakened and bleeding after battling Tenten and the he squirmed. "I won't give away our leader's position!" he spat and Sakura growled. "I'll kill you if you don't." His eyes widened with disbelief and contempt. "But you're only human." Sakura's eyes flashed.

Her fist hit the concrete pavement next to the boy's head and his translucent blue eyes widened further at the deep crater her fist left as she pulled it away again.

"Where is Ino?" She asked again slowly and the boy began to tremble. "I can't hear you," Tenten said in a low and warning voice, dark eyes narrowed down at him and her face covered with smudges of soot and blood.

"Uchiha compound," the boy whispered, almost inaudibly and Sakura's fist hit the side of his face, causing it to jerk violently to the side before he stilled.

"Did you kill him?" Tenten asked softly and Sakura shook her head as she climbed to her feet. "He's unconscious." Tenten nodded with a ghost of a smile before the two girls took off again.

They reached the gates of the compound in minutes and Tenten froze.

"What is it?" Sakura asked worriedly and Tenten hissed. "Sasuke's in there. The largest house, I can sense him and In-" The brunette's eyes widened with shock and what happened next all happened in a blur.

_Sasuke. _

Sakura felt Tenten's arms around her as she hit the concrete and silver arrows rained down around them from somewhere above them. She could feel the slender brunette's weight on top of her, shielding her from the storm.

"Tenten," Sakura whispered. "Just wait for them to stop before you run," Tenten answered in a strained whisper before Sakura felt her friend's body go limp and her head lolled loosely to the side. Sakura could see blood running down the corners of her mouth.

Sakura obeyed her friend's instructions, feeling warm tears run down her face, and once the arrows had stopped, she moved Tenten gently off of her, _not _rolling her onto her back. Sakura felt bile rise in her throat when she saw the number of arrows protruding from her friend's back and instinctively bit into her arm and pressed it roughly to Tenten's mouth. She felt her suck the blood feebly before falling completely unconscious but Sakura knew that the brunette had consumed enough Healer's Blood to ensure that she wouldn't die.

Sakura stood from her crouch and turned her narrowed eyes, emerald daggers, to the large manor looming upwards in the centre of the compound.

_I'm coming, Ino, _she snarled.

xxxxxxx

"That stupid spy never told me that Sakura had gone and allied herself with _Druids_!" Ino shrieked, pacing the room and smashing every piece of furniture she laid her hands on. "_Fuck that bitch!_"

_Druids_, Karin smiled smugly to herself so that the blonde wouldn't see it, standing a safe distance away. _You didn't see that one coming, now did you, bitch?_

"What do we do, Ino?" She asked seriously, keeping her true thoughts and feelings hidden, and the blonde's manic eyes fell on her, cold and merciless. "I sent Sasuke to find her but I'll gladly rip her heart out _personally_," she screamed in reply, viciously hurling a chair leg at the large window and Karin watched it smash loudly.

"That's the easiest way to alert the enemy that you're here," Mei said disdainfully from the doorway.

"Mizukage," Karin bowed and Ino snarled. "What do you want?" Mei gestured to the vampires behind her. "Your escort is ready, Ino Yamanaka."

_Escort? _Karin looked at Ino with shocked eyes. "You're leaving?" Ino shoved her aside. "I can't win the war if I'm _dead. _It's not safe here anymore; I'm moving base to the Stone."

"But what about Sas-"

"He was instructed to meet the escort should he have not found and killed Sakura by now," Ino snapped, stepping passed the Mizukage and vanishing with the escort without uttering so much as a farewell.

_She was never truly my friend, _the redhead thought bitterly as she watched the blonde go, feeling an icy sense of dread claw at her. _But how will I escape? Sakura will never forgive me for what I've helped Ino do._

"You'll be traveling with me, youngling," Mei said with a smug smile and Karin immediately felt relieved. "Thank you, Mizukage."

"We have a job for you to do," Suigetsu said, suddenly appearing at the Mizukage's side, grinning toothily in a way that reminded Karin of a shark.

"What must I do?" She asked curiously.

"Find Sasuke and stop him before he kills the human," Mei said seriously. Karin's eyes widened. "She's here?" Suigetsu winked. "You better hurry, princess."

"But she'll _kill _me," Karin whispered, her chest tightening with the guilt of what she had done but Mei shook her head gravely. "You misjudge her, youngling. Go quickly."

_I'm on Sakura's side. _Karin remembered her promise to the Hokage and ran through the door at top speed.

_I'll search this whole house if I must. I'm coming, Sakura._

xxxxxxx

Sakura leapt through an open window and into a dark and unlit corridor. She allowed a new instinct to take over and took off down the corridor and turned a sharp corner, following scents and sounds. She froze when she heard unfamiliar and quiet voices and ducked into the shadows as the Mizukage and a white haired boy following closely behind her hurried past. She was sure they hadn't noticed her but she was also sure she had seen the satisfied and smug smirk on the tall woman's face as she had passed.

_She knew I was here, but she didn't attack? _Sakura once again tried to ponder the woman's strange and unpredictable behaviour and snarled at herself to focus. _I need to find Ino. _

It was strange, but Sakura couldn't sense the blonde at all, it was like she had just _vanished. But that's impossible, _she hissed in her mind and darted down the corridor again, following the senses of different presences and avoiding strangers. She turned a corner into a wide corridor, dark and lined with many windows that allowed pale light to filter through and fill the hallway with eerie light. She stepped forward and froze when the sudden pulse of a presence so familiar to her shot through her like a slap to the face.

_Sasuke._

Sakura hit the ground once more, hard, but this time it wasn't Tenten pinning her to the ground, it was Sasuke. Neither of them moved as he gazed down at her blankly and she gazed up at him searchingly.

_It's been so long, since I've seen him up close like this. _She could feel electricity spark on her skin where his hands were pinning her wrists to the floor but she also felt fear, cold fear and the images of Sasuke ripping Gaara's heart out flashed across her vision and Sakura felt tears run silently down the corners of her eyes. He felt so different now and even his scent was different now, no longer the familiar and comforting scent she remembered.

_What has Ino turned him into?_

The silence and tranquillity of the moment was broken when he growled and looked at her through empty eyes that suddenly ignited themselves with hateful fire and Sakura growled back instinctively and tried to force him off of her. She felt his grip on her wrists tighten to the point where it was painful and suddenly jerked herself and rolled so that she was the one on top.

"Where's Ino, Sasuke?" She hissed, ignoring the tears that dropped onto his face and he snarled and kicked her off of him. Sakura rolled across the floor and felt herself hit the wall before she climbed unsteadily to her feet.

_I'm distracted, _she snarled with annoyance at herself and anger and dodged as Sasuke lunged and lashed out viciously. Sakura caught his arm and moved lithely to pin it behind his back before he spun, causing Sakura to spin too and threw her so that she hit the floor and rolled once again before jumping to her feet and snarling angrily in defiance, feeling the ache in her chest that had never truly gone away stab her sharply and painfully.

_I won't let her keep you._

"_You don't belong to her_!" She screamed and lunged at him, her vision blurred by tears and she cried out when his fist hit her below her left eye and stars exploded across her field of vision before she felt her legs give out from beneath her and the floor came up to meet her.

She could hear Sasuke moving towards her.

_No_. "Sasuke," she whimpered, spitting out blood, already feeling herself heal but knowing that he could easily end her life when she was vulnerable like this.

"Sasuke," she said, her voice slightly louder, but he continued to advance, sharingan activated and glowing red through the darkness.

"_Sasuke!_" She screamed desperately as he reached her. But he froze. She heard his breath hitch and her eyes widened with confusion and shock as he sunk to his knees and collapsed sideways. He moaned softly before going still. What shocked her more was that the figure now kneeling in front of her and looking at her through red and concerned eyes was-

_Karin?_

"What are you doing?" Sakura demanded and winced at the pain in her ribs as she felt Karin check her for broken bones.

"Four fractured ribs," she heard the redhead say to herself before she looked down at her with glowing red eyes. "Promise me you'll listen to me, Sakura."

"Why should I?" Sakura asked in a low voice as she felt the bones right themselves again and caught Karin's wrist tightly. She knew her grip was hurting her but the redhead hid her pain well.

"Because I'm on _your side_," Karin whispered before her eyes took on a faraway look.

"Liar!" Sakura snarled, ready to reach up and snap the redhead's neck but she froze when she saw the first tear run down Karin's face. _She's… crying?_

"I was a… pawn," the girl said darkly, her voice deadly and quiet and Sakura's eyes widened. "I've been a pawn of the Yamanaka clan for years." Sakura had never seen the cruel and sniggering redhead look so serious and distraught.

"They found me useful because of my ability to steal and manipulate energy. I've been under their control for years and I only realised after I broke free of it. I-" Her body jerked as she sobbed and Sakura felt her grip relax and let her arm fall back to the floor, too stunned to do anything as she listened to Karin's story. "I've done so many terrible things because of her, so many _unforgivable _things. Please, Sakura." She looked down at Sakura with bright and teary eyes and Sakura couldn't look away.

_So much pain…_


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"I'm so sorry," Karin whispered, letting her head fall forward and her hair curtain her face so that it was hidden from view, but Sakura could see the shimmering tears dripping from her chin onto the floor.

_So much pain._

Sakura propped herself up into a sitting position, feeling the strength return to her limbs as her body healed itself, and climbed unsteadily to her feet. She offered Karin her hand and the redhead looked up with surprised and teary eyes before she took it and Sakura pulled her to her feet.

"I don't blame you," Sakura said in a low voice and moved to crouch next to Sasuke. Asleep, he looked peaceful, like an angel, like the old Sasuke she remembered before Ino had dug her claws into him. Asleep, he was free, until he woke up again.

She extended her hand to him, wanting to touch him, to be reassured that he was really right in front of her and wouldn't disappear again, but faltered as the images of him ripping out Gaara's heart flashed across her field of vision, the hopeless look in the Kazekage's eyes, him whispering her name before he died, and the sound of his lifeless body hitting the gravel at Sasuke's feet. When she had looked at him that night, all she had seen was Ino. _Stop it,_ she snarled at herself, angry at herself for being cowardly and stupid. _I am not afraid of him; he isn't in control of his actions. I'm only afraid of the one controlling him. _

Sakura gently brushed his fringe from his face with a sad smile. _You don't belong to her, and I promise I'll make sure that you never will, Sasuke. _"I know it's not your fault." Karin watched her with silent admiration and understanding, nothing like the infatuated and malicious girl Sakura had become accustomed to. _Ino changed her too._

"Didn't I tell you, youngling?"

Sakura's head shot up quickly and she snarled, baring her canines when she saw the Mizukage standing in the doorway at the end of the hall, still just as beautiful and flawless as she had been since their last encounter, with the strange white-haired boy standing behind her. His eyes were an unusual bright purple and glowed brightly through the darkness. Sakura didn't like the arrogant smirk he wore. She couldn't help, however, noticing and admiring the wild and rebellious fire that shone through the purple orbs locked on her, like no one was truly the boss of him. _I wish my eyes could be the same._

"Mizukage," Karin bowed her head quickly and respectfully and Sakura wearily got back to her feet and backed away, her eyes constantly darting between Sasuke and the three figures standing in front of her. _Traitors. _

The Mizukage's sharp, emerald eyes flashed and she was gone, the boy smirking at her through a now empty doorframe. Sakura froze when she suddenly felt the tall woman's breath on the back of her neck, icy and cool, and squeaked with surprise, turning quickly and stumbling. She hadn't even seen the Mizukage move at all. Karin caught her from behind and stopped her from falling backwards before taking a step back so that she was standing next to the purple-eyed boy who had moved down the corridor. He handed Karin a dark cloak.

"What do you want?" Sakura demanded, taking a fighting stance and the Mizukage chuckled with amusement. "My, my. Still so spirited. I would have thought that perhaps the Yamanaka child may have broken you by now, but I suppose my assumptions were incorrect, human." Sakura growled defiantly and the tall woman chuckled again and cocked her head curiously. "Tsunade was right. You _are _a strong one."

Sakura froze. _Lady Tsunade? _"You've seen Lady Tsunade?" She asked in a small voice and the tall woman nodded gravely. It was the most serious Sakura had even seen the Mizukage but that didn't stop the anger that burst forth through her. She pointed an accusing finger at the woman watching her with an indifferent expression. "It's your fault! You helped Ino take the Leaf! And it's because of you that Lady Tsunade was taken captive! How can you say her name so casually? As if you were friends?"

The Mizukage watched her with a bored expression that only annoyed Sakura more. "You younglings know so little about war," she rolled her eyes. "Even without my help the Yamanaka child would have still taken the Leaf with the forces she already had. Not long after, she would have taken the Sand and then eventually, my Village, the Mist. Tsunade and I saw it coming."

"She already knew about the Yamanakas' plan?" Sakura breathed with disbelief and the Mizukage rolled her eyes again. "It's a Kage's _job _to know, human. She and I made an agreement that I would ally myself with the Yamanakas should the time come and work as a double agent. I was simply playing the part given to me by your Hokage, human." She mock pouted. "You do me an injustice."

Sakura could only stare wide-eyed at the woman in front of her with disbelief and stunned surprise. _She's a double agent? _As the Mizukage's words sank in, Sakura remembered how the woman had called off the Akatsuki and had allowed them to escape from the Leaf knowing that they were no match for Ino's forces on their own, but that had only led to Gaara's death afterwards. Sakura snarled. "You could have at least told _Gaara _about this plan." The Mizukage's uncaring and indifferent mask cracked and for a split second, and Sakura could see the regret and guilt in her emerald eyes before the mask was immediately put back into place. "That was regrettable," she said flatly, "He was incredibly wise for someone so young. A true prodigy."

"You could have done something sooner," Sakura snapped, growling and the Mizukage flipped her hair nonchalantly. "What use would I have been to Tsunade hypnotized?" Sakura had no reply for that. The tall woman gestured to herself, the white-haired boy and Karin. "We are the resistance, human. We are not your enemy."

Sakura relaxed her stance after finding no deception in the three vampires' eyes. _But still, sincerity can be faked. _That didn't stop her from being cautious and weary.

Sasuke stirred and Sakura knelt next to him again as his eyes opened hazily. "Sasuke," she whispered softly and the raven-haired boy moved to prop himself up on one elbow as his obsidian eyes immediately sharpened into focus, still empty and cold. Sakura didn't even have the time to blink before the white-haired boy's fist made contact with the side of Sasuke's head and the raven-haired boy collapsed again onto her lap.

"Suigetsu!" Karin covered her mouth with shock and Sakura's stunned and furious eyes met the purple eyes of the boy kneeling parallel to her as he raised his head. He smirked, revealing two rows of shark-like teeth. "Him waking up would cause… complications, for us."

"Correct," the Mizukage said, circling around Sakura slowly so that Sakura could hair the soft rustle of her blue silk gown dragging across the floor. "We cannot help him here."

"Can we even help him at all?" Sakura demanded, feeling a sense of hopeless desperation start to grow in her chest.

"Lady Tsunade will know how to help him," Karin said, offering Sakura her hand as Suigetsu lifted Sasuke and slung him across his back as though the raven-haired boy weighed nothing. Sakura took the redhead's hand and was pulled lightly and easily to her feet. She looked at the Mizukage. "Do you know where Lady Tsunade is?" The brunette chuckled. "Didn't I already tell you, human? It's my _job _to know." She gestured for the three teenagers to follow her. "Follow me, younglings."

Sakura followed the group down corridor after corridor, around corner after corner and she couldn't help but notice how _empty _the manor was. It was like everyone had just _disappeared _and Sakura _knew _that this had been Ino's base. She didn't question or say anything as she followed them down a set of stairs into a dimly lit room and to a wooden door set in the wall on the far side of the room.

"Neji and Kiba aren't here," she heard Karin whispered as they followed the Mizukage through the door and down a flight of stairs made from cold stone. "Is this a _dungeon_?" Sakura breathed, marvelling at how cold and damp the room was, and the way it was lit by dark blue light. It looked like a scene from a movie, like one of the dungeons hidden underground beneath the old and medieval castles.

They reached the bottom of the steps and the Mizukage led them quickly down a path lined with prison cells on either side. Sakura forced herself not to look at the dead eyed and empty eyed prisoners but couldn't help but hear the quiet whispers and murmurs of, "_Sakura,_" and "_Human_," as she passed them. _So this is what happened to the Leaf's vampires, the ones that weren't hypnotized._

They stopped in front of a cell with thick, silver bars and Sakura felt her heart start hammering when her eyes fell on the tall and thin woman lying beside them. Sakura recognised her immediately. _Is it really?_

"Lady Tsunade," she sobbed, falling to her knees in front of the bars and the woman's eyes opened, warm and golden, and Tsunade smiled as she looked up at her. "You've grown up, Sakura." Tsunade sat up and caught the vial of blood the Mizukage tossed to her through the bars and downed its contents immediately before standing and flexing her hands experimentally. "I need you to move, Sakura."

Sakura jumped to her feet quickly as the Hokage's slender hands grasped the silver bars and Sakura gasped with surprise when they didn't burn. The loud screech of metal echoed across the stone walls of the dungeon as Tsunade bent and ripped the bars from the ceiling and floor before tossing them aside and moved, with natural grace, so that she was no longer standing in the prison cell.

"I did tell you the time was almost upon us the last time I saw you, Tsunade," the Mizukage smirked coyly as Sakura threw herself at her mentor and hugged the woman tightly.

"I can see the changes in you, Sakura," Tsunade said as Sakura released her. "In your eyes most of all. These last few weeks must have been hard on you." She looked down at her with golden eyes filled with guilt and regret. "I'm so sorry I dragged you into all this. This isn't something a human should have to get through on their own."

"I had help," Sakura said shakily, wiping the tears from her eyes. "From the Sand and the Druids especially."

"Druids?"

"It surprised _everyone_," Suigetsu shrugged, rolling his eyes, and lowered Sasuke onto the ground. "Can the Uchiha's mind still be saved?" The Mizukage asked seriously and Tsunade's brow furrowed. "Healer's Blood can heal anything. But getting him to drink it is another story entirely." The Hokage pointed at the three vampires in front of them and then at Sasuke. "Each of you, hold Sasuke down. Sakura will make him drink."

"But surely _your_ blood would be more effective?" The Mizukage raised an eyebrow and Tsunade shook her head. "I am still too weak. There's no telling how much he will need to be able to fully heal himself after being manipulated for so long."

_I'm finally going to be able to help him, _Sakura couldn't help the excitement and happiness from building in her chest, as well as the nervous anticipation and dread. What if it didn't work? What if Sasuke was too far gone to be saved? _I still have to try._

Tsunade and the Mizukage gripped Sasuke's arms tightly and Karin and Suigetsu held his legs. Sakura knelt beside him and drew the chained vial of her blood from around her neck and uncapped it. The sweet and strangely refreshing scent of her blood immediately filled air around them and Sasuke began to stir as he inhaled deeply. "Hold him down," Tsunade warned and the Uchiha's eyes flew open, sharingan activated and wild.

"This is going to help you," Sakura told him with a trembling voice as she brought the vial closer to his snarling mouth. He began to struggle, violently and frantically against the bonds holding him down and Sakura felt tears well in her eyes as she watched him writhe, like a traumatized animal.

"He won't open his mouth," she hissed and Suigetsu used his free arm to elbow Sasuke sharply in the stomach, causing the Uchiha to open his mouth as he cried out with pain and surprise.

"Now, Sakura!" Karin exclaimed and Sakura forced the contents of the vial into his mouth and used her hands to shut it as he growled. Suigetsu elbowed him again, forcing Sasuke to swallow out of instinct.

The effect was immediate. Sasuke thrashed and cried out in pain, clawing at his chest and throat as though he had just swallowed fire, and Suigetsu quickly pulled Sakura back to avoid getting hit by the boy's flailing limbs.

"You didn't tell me it was going to _hurt him_!" Sakura cried as Sasuke writhed in agony, growling, snarling and crying for an eternity before suddenly jerking before he froze and falling still, unconscious.

"It was the only way," Tsunade said gravely. "Karin, I want you to stay here with Sasuke. It will be a long time before he wakes. "

"And where are you going, Hokage?" Karin asked respectfully and Tsunade turned to face the stairs, flexing her hands and breathing in deeply. The Mizukage smirked knowingly and Suigetsu's hand grasped the hilt of the sword strapped to his back, grinning toothily and Sakura already knew where they were going.

"I'm going to take back my village."

xxxxxxx

"Bring me Deidara," Ino snapped, stretching herself out across the couch of her new chambers in the Tsuchikage's mansion in the Village Hidden in the Stones. She couldn't have been angrier. Sasuke hadn't met them where she had instructed him to and she had been forced to leave without him. She couldn't bear the thought. She had been forced to leave her most precious belonging behind, her Sasuke, and it made her want to break every single piece of furniture in the room.

She felt tears well in her eyes at the thought that someone might have _killed _him. That would be one of the only reasons he wouldn't have followed her instructions, he couldn't possibly have broken free of her powers, she had bound him too strongly for that, and there was no way Sakura could have possibly survived. _She's only human after all, a weakling, inferior._

_But, _she smiled nastily, _I now know where the Sand is. _Another one of her spies had met up with her and her escort and had shown them the hidden entrance she had been searching for for so long. But the thought didn't keep her happy for long and she snarled. Almost half of her army where returning now which would only mean that _Sakura's _army of vampires and _Druids _were _winning_. Ino shrieked as she tore a pillow in two, sending feathers and fabric everywhere. She would have the Leaf back now.

"_Druids_!" She screamed, gripping her hair so tightly that it her. How could someone so weak have ended the feud between the two races in such a short space of time? "_It's_ _impossible! It isn't fair!"_

"You shouldn't scream so loudly," Deidara smirked. "Some might think you've gone insane."

"Shut the fuck up," Ino snarled before smirking back at him. He watched her curiously as she stood and moved to stand in front of him, making sure that their bodies were so close they were almost touching. She took a strand of his long, blonde hair between her fingers and examined it as she spoke. "Karin told me about a certain bomb of yours before I left. I heard it was a work of… art." Ino smirked again as she looked up and saw the blonde's eyes light up manically at the compliment. "Art like mine is unforgettable, because art is-"

"An explosion?" Ino finished for him coyly and the Akatsuki grinned down at her. "Exactly."

Ino took one of his hands and tickled the mouth set in the palm playfully, out of all the Akatsuki members, Ino liked Deidara the best. "How many can you make for me before morning comes?"

Deidara watched her with a dazed expression as she brought the hand to her mouth and lightly traced the lines of the back of his hand and fingers with her lips. "How many do you need?" She heard his voice tremble.

Ino smiled again, revealing her fangs, gleefully thinking about the aftermath of the decision she had just made.

"Just make me two." _Sakura will die._

xxxxxxx

Tenten was still lying outside the gate of the Uchiha compound when the group found her. The pretty Yamanaka boy was still there too, still unconscious. Sakura ran to Tenten before Tsunade pushed her out of the way and crouched beside the brunette. "I will help your friend. Keep going." Sakura knew that now wasn't the time to disagree with the Hokage and nodded before taking off at top speed through the now empty streets, with the Mizukage and Suigetsu at her sides.

The fighting had all moved to the edge of the city and the smell of smoke and burning was stronger now than it had been before. The cavern, once light by pale, silver-green light, was now lit by red and orange from the enormous flames devouring what was left of the buildings. Dead and unconscious littered the ground everywhere and Sakura avoided looking at their faces, just in case she saw someone she knew.

"Horrible, isn't it?" She heard the Mizukage murmur from beside her as they looked down at the chaos below from the top of the burning shell of a building. "Growing soft, Mizukage?" Suigetsu grinned and Sakura growled back at him with irritation. "Do you think this is funny?"

A scream pierced the air and Sakura was surprised by how quickly Suigetsu's amused expression turned deadly serious. His eyes flashed dangerously and he growled back at her angrily, "Of course not. _War isn't funny._" Sakura gaped at him with wide eyes and the Mizukage chuckled. "Time to go, younglings."

The three of them leapt from the building, landing lightly amongst the chaos and immediately attacked.

"We're winning," she heard the Mizukage say to her loudly as she brought her water whip down and blasted her opponent with shards of ice before leaping to the next enemy and blasting them with a powerful breath of lava. She moved beautifully and fluidly and Sakura doubted that the tall woman had practiced gymnastics and contemporary to be able to move that way.

Sakura blasted the ground with her fist and the resulting shockwave put her opponent off balance and she landed lightly on the slender woman's shoulders and broke her neck. She was immediately surrounding completely by a least seven new opponents and she felt her breath hitch. She had never had to fight so many vampires at once before. Her eyes quickly darted to where she saw Suigetsu cutting through enemies easily, definitely facing more than seven and Sakura quickly turned back to her opponents.

"Looks like we've got the human," she heard one of them hiss before they all attacked at once. Sakura did her best to dodge and strike and she managed to kill three of them before she felt the silver blade pierce her through the side.

_Silver_.

Sakura felt her body convulse at the burning pain that shot through her, burning coming from the blade now lodged in between her ribs. _Silver burns me_. She felt her knees give out and as her knees hit the ground her chest burned like she had been stabbed and she coughed up blood, tasting the metallic taste of it in her mouth. She should have known that she couldn't have handled so many opponents at once. _I'm only human. _But she now knew that she was less human than she had originally believed.

She fell forwards onto her hands and knees while her opponents laughed from all around her. _I need to get the blade out so that I can heal. _She wasn't used to being in so much pain for so long, her Healer's Blood usually healed her wounds almost instantly. Sakura didn't like feeling so out of control of the situation. She felt herself begin to panic as her breathing became laboured.

Her opponents' laughs and sniggers turned to growls and snarls before they became silent, but Sakura couldn't see properly anymore as she collapsed fully onto the ground. Her hand gripped the hilt of the blade and she hissed as the silver burnt her palm and fingers. She tugged and shrieked as a newer, sharper and more agonizing burning pain shot through her. _I can't do it._

"_Fuck,_" she whispered, before jerking with surprise and pain as the blade was suddenly pulled free from her ribs in one clean movement. "I can't let you die," Suigetsu explained as he helped her into a sitting position. "Mizukage's orders." The burning faded and slowly ebbed away to nothing, but Sakura couldn't understand why she hadn't been able to heal properly until the blade was removed.

"Silver mostly neutralizes the effects of Healer's Blood," Suigetsu explained in a low voice as he pulled Sakura to her feet and quickly dispatched an enemy lunging toward them with his enormous sword. "It is a vampire's _ultimate _weakness. Which is why it makes such an effective weapon."

"Thank you-" Sakura began before she was cut off by the sudden silence that fell over the battlefield. Druids and vampires from Sakura's army parted to allow two figures to move through. The Mizukage, tall and proud and beside her, Lady Tsunade. She was dressed for battle now, looking healthier and stronger than when she was in the dungeons not long ago. Her eyes were like two orbs of golden fire, furious and unforgiving and Sakura had never seen the Hokage look more beautiful. Sakura had also never seen two more intimidating figures than the two Kages. The two women's eyes scanned the masses before them, challenging the enemy, and Sakura did the same. Ino's forces were now heavily outnumbered, like most of them had just fled or just disappeared and Sakura knew that the battle was won, whether the fighting continued or not.

"_FALL BACK!" _

The terrified voice pierced the silence and Ino's forces immediately broke and fled for the balcony and tunnel, their spirits broken.

"Sakura!" Sakura looked up and saw Hinata and Tenten running toward her, expressions relieved and so happy. Sakura met them halfway and the three girls embraced each other tightly.

"We did it," Hinata said happily and Sakura felt tears fill her eyes as she held the dishevelled looking brunette tightly. "I owe you my life," she whispered as Tenten hugged her back. "You need to live a bit longer before you can say that," she teased. "You had a bigger role to play in this battle than I did."

"Hey, what is _that_?!"

Sakura looked up at the enormous white bird circling above them and the manic looking blonde riding on its back, grinning nastily. "_ART!" _He shrieked and Sakura felt her stomach drop with realisation and understanding as he pulled another white bird, the size of a large cat, from the folds of his cloak and held it up above his head.

"_Run! Now!" _The Mizukage shouted, her eyes wide with horror, "_Get below ground!"_

"Suigetsu! Sakura!" Tsunade barked, "Get to Karin and Sasuke!"

"Okay!" Sakura shouted back and Suigetsu nodded as the two of them took off. Their surroundings passed them as blurs as they ran as fast as they could over broken glass and charred wood toward the mansion dungeons.

"_IS AN EXPLOSION!" _

Deidara released the bird and Sakura felt Suigetsu's arms around her as they were engulfed by the flames and searing heat.

xxxxxxx

Karin stumbled and fell onto her hands and knees as the ground shook from above them and bits of stone from the dungeon ceiling rained down around her. She looked around her and saw that she wasn't the only one affected. The prisoners she had released were also on the ground and looked just as stunned as she felt.

She looked down at Sasuke; he still hadn't woken up but frowned as if he had felt the tremor as well. She felt her breath hitch and nausea overcome her as she remembered the clay bird Deidara had shown her. _No, Ino wouldn't. _Had Ino ordered him to drop one on the Leaf? Breathing became harder as Karin realised that yes, Ino would and had.

_Sakura, _she thought, climbing to her feet, _Suigetsu, Lady Mei, Lady Tsunade, _she lifted Sasuke, her strength making it easy and slung him over her back. _Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee. _She raced up the stairs. She could see light at the top, which was strange. _Hinata, Tenten. _She reached the top and screamed with despair and anguish at the sight of her surroundings.

The cavern looked empty, charred, and with only a few shells of former buildings remaining as well as dark holes leading further underground to cellars and basements. Had everyone made it underground in time?

_Sakura must have been on her way here if she knew about the bomb. She would have wanted to be with Sasuke. _Karin hastily wiped her eyes. "I know you aren't dead," she said, her voice trembling. "I know none of you are dead."

_I will find you._


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

_Uchiha Manor- 2 Days Before Battle_

"_What's bothering you, princess?" Suigetsu looked at Karin curiously and she ran her fingers through her hair with a sigh as she turned to look out the window. "I'm just thinking." He raised an eyebrow as he regarded how serious she was. "Thinking about what?" She shrugged. "Everything."_

"_That really narrows it down," he said sarcastically, setting his enormous sword down before falling onto the Mizukage's couch and stretching himself into a comfortable position. "But I won't bug you."_

_Karin chuckled despite her grim mood, grateful for her companion's constantly cheerful demeanour. "You're not bugging me." He grinned widely. "Good to know."_

"_It's just," she started and turned away from the window to look down at him. "Imagine how differently my life could have planned out if Ino hadn't turned me into some obsessive and possessive bitch like her." Her voice cracked suddenly as her face crumpled with anguish and regret. "It could have been so different. I could have been a person people actually liked. I could have made friends. But now," her voice lowered. "I guess I'll never know what that's like."_

_Suigetsu's usual arrogant and cheerful expression vanished when he saw how distressed she really was, by the pain clearly evident in her eyes and by the tension in her shoulders. Karin was rarely this vulnerable and barely ever truly expressed what she was feeling, and she usually hid her emotions too well for anyone to read, being as careful and cautious as she was._

_Suigetsu sat up and angled his body toward the window to face her. "If it helps," he offered, "I like you." Karin giggled and wiped her eyes. "Thanks, but I didn't think you were the nice type." She blinked with surprise when she saw a protective possessiveness suddenly break past his carefree mask. "I can be nice if you need me to be." He said seriously. He watched her eyes water and the first tear fall. "I can be anything you need me to be." _

_Karin half laughed and half sobbed before moving to sit beside him on the couch and resting her head on his shoulder. "You don't really come across as sweet and sensitive either you know," she commented, wiping away her tears._

_He winked and grinned toothily, "I'm nicer then I look. It's the shark teeth that give people the wrong idea."_

_Karin laughed. "Or it could be that you're an arrogant jerk most of the time."_

_He shrugged. "That too," he agreed._

_The door flew open and Mei Terumi stalked in. Karin could tell by the tall woman's expression that Ino had upset her, again. Her furious expression, cold enough to freeze anyone to ice and also hot enough to melt you on the spot, softened when her eyes fell on Karin's tear streaked face and both teenagers stood and bowed their heads respectfully. "Mizukage." Karin felt like she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to._

"_The Yamanaka child seeks you, youngling." _

"_I understand."_

xxxxxxx

Sakura moaned at the shrill, high-pitched ringing in her ears as she stirred. Her body was stiff from lying in one position for too long and head was ringing too but besides that, she felt completely fine. Her body felt as good as new, besides being stiff, but Sakura could see the large patches of dried blood from healed cuts along her arms and legs as well as rips and tears in her clothes and she knew that the explosion would have killed her if Suigetsu hadn't pulled them into one of the abandoned buildings before the flames had turned them to ash.

_Suigetsu._

She sat up quickly and moved the crumbling and charred pieces of timber and brick off of her, scanning the small space with her eyes until they fell on the white-haired boy. The blast had blown him across the room where he now lay against the wall but Sakura didn't like the weird angle he was lying in and she could see blood running down the corners of his mouth and pooling around the crown of his head, dying his white hair red. He was still alive; Sakura knew this because she could hear his breathing, faint but there all the same.

"Suigetsu," she called as she moved to stand, waiting for the ringing to stop, but froze when she heard running coming from outside the building's charred shell. Alarmed and panicking, she took a fighting stance just as Karin burst into the room, her appearance wild and dishevelled and her eyes large and wide as saucers, carrying unconscious Sasuke on her back like he weighed nothing.

It seemed to take the redhead a moment to orientate herself. "It took me seven houses to find her," she heard Karin grumbled to herself. "Are you okay, Sakura? You're not hurt are you?" She asked worriedly, still looking slightly disorientated but completely unhurt herself, and Sakura nodded wordlessly as the redhead's eyes fell on Suigetsu. _I guess the explosion didn't reach the dungeon._

Karin went rigid as she took in his mangled appearance and Sakura wanted to say something but found that she couldn't. She didn't know what to say. She watched as the redhead laid Sasuke down gently, arms and legs shaking, before her face contorted with anguish and she ran to her fallen comrade, falling onto her knees next to him as she reached him.

"Is-is he, is he still-" she stuttered, checking him frantically for broken bones, her slender hands trembling and Sakura recognised the desperate and anguished despair in the redhead's eyes. It was how she had felt when she had lost Sasuke to Ino. The pain had been agonising.

"He's still alive," Sakura softly, understanding how Karin was feeling all too well, and she pulled the chained vial from around her neck and tossed it to the surprised redhead. "It will heal him."

"You refilled it?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah."

"Are you sure you're okay with me using this?" Karin's lower lip trembled and Sakura crouched in front of the redhead and used her hand to close Karin's trembling hand around the vial. "He saved my life. I'm returning the favour."

Karin gave her a strained smile as thanks before she quickly turned her attention back to the boy lying in front of her. She uncorked it and made sure that Suigetsu finished all of its contents and waited with baited breath while Sakura crawled over to Sasuke.

_He's still asleep. _"Please wake up," she whispered into his ear, desperately wanting him to be healed and brushing his black hair out of his face; he stirred and muttered something incoherent, frowning, but that was all. Being near him made Sakura's heartbeat speed up and she hadn't realised before just how much she missed him, how much she wanted to kiss him and hold him, and how much she still loved him and wanted him. _But does he still feel the same way? _She stroked his cheek, cold and satin smooth, and felt the nerve endings in her fingertips prickle softly, like she was holding them over a low flame. She felt him tense under her touch before he relaxed.

"_Is it possible to be in love with two different people?" Yes, _she realised, _yes it is. _Gaara had taught her so much in such a short space of time.

"Sakura," Sasuke sighed in his sleep, his arm reaching out in front of him, reaching out for _her,_ and Sakura, feeling elated, took his outstretched hand and brought it to her lips, feeling the coolness of his skin and inhaling his scent, feeling her body fill with the warmth and happiness only Sasuke could give her. "I'm here," she said softly, kissing each of his fingers. "I'm here, Sasuke."

_Slowly, you're coming back to me. I won't lose you too._

"Damn art," Suigetsu grumbled groggily as he sat up slowly, holding his head while the once fatal cut that had been there healed itself. Sakura saw the happiness and relief in Karin's ruby eyes, so sincere and genuine, before the redhead suddenly broke down into tears. Suigetsu's eyes shot open at the sound, wide and surprised, when they fell on the girl sobbing next to him. "Karin? What the hell-"

"You," she said in a low and trembling voice, wiping the tears from her eyes before her fist met his face, hard, "IDIOT!" she screamed at him waiting for him to turn his stunned eyes back to her before she broke down again, falling against him and gripping the front of his shirt tightly as she cried into his chest. Suigetsu placed the arm he wasn't using to prop himself up with around Karin's shoulders. "I'll never understand women," he muttered helplessly while the new bruising around his eye healed itself but Sakura could see the uncharacteristically affectionate smile on his face as he pulled the redhead closer and buried his face in her hair, adjusting the position he was sitting in so that he could wrap both arms around her while her body shook with sobs.

Sakura gently place Sasuke's hand over his chest. She stood and moved across the room to scope the area outside the crumbling doorway. The door was gone but the arch was still there, charred and blackened wood set into what was left of a crumbling and mostly destroyed brick wall.

What had once been the large and vibrant village was now an almost empty cavern with the few odd ruins of houses scattered across the dusty ground. The dead Sakura remembered littering the ground were gone, piles of ash now.

_Did anyone else survive this? _The thought filled Sakura with dread and an icy and prickly feeling but her body tensed instinctively when Tsunade and her attendant Shizune emerged from the shell opposite to the one Sakura was watching from. Shizune had unconscious Kiba on her back and Sakura saw that Tsunade was carrying unconscious Neji. The Hokage had obviously healed them both but Sakura could still see how badly the two boys had been injured. _Ino must have left them behind, _she thought bitterly, clenching her fists tightly, but her heart soared at the fact that her friends were finally free at last.

_But Konoha is free now. Well, what's left of it at least._

"Lady Tsunade!" She called and she saw a relieved smile break out across both women's faces. "Oh, Sakura thank goodness," Shizune breathed shakily, looking tired and Sakura could see that the dark-haired woman had also been badly injured before the Hokage had found her.

Sakura met Tsunade's cool and golden gaze.

"Survivors are to gather at the tunnel balcony," the Hokage said seriously and Sakura nodded wordlessly. "Attend to the ones that need immediate medical attention." Sakura nodded again. "Yes, Lady Tsunade." And the two women vanished.

Sakura watched them go and then looked back over her shoulder at Sasuke, looking more peaceful than she had seen him in a long time, and at still hysterical Karin and comforting Suigetsu.

_This battle wasn't for nothing._

xxxxxxx

"Shizune, I want you to bring me all the survivors from down in the dungeons. Bring the ones that need healing to me and Sakura immediately."

"At once, Lady Tsunade!"

"Shikaku, I want you and Minato Namikaze to start moving survivors to the Druids' Land."

"Understood, Lady Tsunade."

_3 hours after the bomb_

Sakura tore a piece off the bottom of her shirt and dabbed gently at the deep, red cut across Naruto's forehead to clean the wound. "Does it still hurt a lot?" She asked and the Druid boy gave her a ghost of a smile. "A little. But I've had worse. I'm sure this is nothing compared some of the others." Sakura frowned. "You don't have to act tough," she chided, "Just a little deeper and the blade that cut you would have killed you." Naruto shrugged. "It didn't though."

"You were lucky," Sakura snapped and Naruto chuckled with amusement. "Arguing with you seems like a useless endeavour, so I'll just keep quiet and agree with you," he teased and Sakura smacked his shoulder lightly with her free hand. "You're an idiot," she sighed, giving up, and he chuckled again, something Sakura wasn't used to from him. She paused and regarded him thoughtfully. He looked back at her curiously. "What?"

"You just seem different," Sakura shrugged, returning her attention back to the wound on his forehead. "I'm just used to you being a lot more serious about everything. You seem a lot more, cheerful."

"War changes a person," Naruto said quietly before her grinned at her toothily, wide and boyish. "What you're seeing now is my regular self." Sakura smacked his shoulder again. "Hold still," she hissed but grinned back at him all the same.

She lowered the piece of fabric after the wound had been sufficiently cleaned and the bleeding had stopped and brought her arm to her mouth, ready to bite into it to draw blood. Naruto held her arm to stop her and Sakura raised her eyebrow questioningly.

"Save your blood for the ones who _really _need it," he explained, "This wound can heal on its own without my life being in danger." Sakura lowered her arm, understanding Naruto's reasoning and Sakura smiled at him. "I'd give you lollypop for being such a good boy, but I'm afraid I'm all out." Naruto gave her a confused look and Sakura laughed when she remembered that he hadn't grown up in the humans' world and probably didn't understand.

"I'm going to check on Sasuke," she said, standing and stretching the tension out of her legs from sitting in a crouch for too long. "To see if he's woken up yet."

"You really care about him don't you?" Naruto watched her searchingly, large blue eyes curious, and she gave him a small smile in return.

"I love him," she said softly, seeing his surprised expression, and turned and started walking in the direction to where all the Yamanakas' mind control victims lay, recovering after having drank the Healer's Blood.

All the survivors had been found and were either receiving medical attention or were preparing to be moved to the Druids' Land. The Druids had agreed for their home to be their new base, knowing that Ino didn't know of its location as well as the fact that the Hidden Sand had been bombed as well. The news had horrified Sakura and Temari had burst into tears after learning that her home had been destroyed.

Sakura walked past stations were vampires experienced in medical aid were attending to the wounded, feeding vials of Sakura and Tsunade's blood to the severely wounded or bandaging and cleaning the wounds of less severe cases. The mood that hung over the camp was like a dark cloud, grim and sober and sad.

Sasuke was still asleep, Sakura noted with a tinge of disappointment when she reached him, but she noticed with concern that he was tossing fitfully in his sleep and knelt down next to him, worried that he might have a fever. He was sweating, but when Sakura felt his forehead for his temperature she was surprised to find that it was completely normal. Normal for a vampire at least, cold and icy to the touch. He jerked at her touch before continuing his fitful movements.

"Please," he begged, but Sakura doubted he was talking to her. "Please."

"Please what, Sasuke?" Sakura asked gently and squeaked with surprise when he suddenly grabbed her forearms in a painful grip and pulled her downwards. She propped herself up with her hands on his muscled chest, her heart hammering from the surprise but he didn't loosen his grip on her.

"Please," he whispered, his body trembling. "Please tell Sakura to forgive me. Please. Please…" he trailed off and fell silent and Sakura felt his grip loosen before his arms fell limply back to his sides. His breathing evened out and Sakura released the breath she realised she had been holding and noticed that her arms were shaking. "Oh, Sasuke," she whispered as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"The healing process is almost complete," Tsunade noted, and Sakura looked up, startled as the Hokage laid a young and trembling girl down beside Sasuke, another victim. "It is said that the patient sees and dreams about what scares and troubles them the most during the last stages of their recovery." Tsunade regarded him thoughtfully. "It would seem that your opinion of him and the thought that you might not forgive him after what he's been forced to do is what scares him the most."

Sakura felt a pang in her chest.

"Come, Sakura," Tsunade said gently. "You are needed elsewhere right now. Everyone needs to be healed before we can move base completely." Sakura nodded reluctantly, not wanting to leave Sasuke's side, and wiped the tears from her eyes before she stood and followed Tsunade back through the medical stations.

She had just finished bandaging a small vampire boy name Konohamaru when Sakura was pulled to the side by the Mizukage. The tall woman's blue battle clothes were ripped and bloodied but the Mizukage still managed to look utterly beautiful and almost completely flawless.

"Do you need healing?" Sakura asked and the tall woman shook her head. "No, youngling. Lady Tsunade already healed my wounds. Just find and bring Karin and Suigetsu to me."

"Of course, Mizukage," Sakura replied, bowing her head respectfully. Finding the two didn't take Sakura very long. Suigetsu was helping Karin at her assigned station, handing her vials of Healer's Blood and replacing the empty ones with full ones. Any medical supplies that had belonged to the Leaf had been destroyed so vials had had to be brought in from the Mist.

Just remembering filling all the vials made Sakura feel dizzy. It probably would have taken her the rest of the night to recover from all the blood she had lost filling them but Tsunade had given her some of her blood and Sakura's recovery time had been reduced to only an hour.

"Sakura!" Karin squeaked cheerfully but Sakura could see the toll the battle had taken on the redhead just by looking at her tired and weary face. Suigetsu was the same but he smirked at her all the same.

"The Mizukage's looking for the both of you," Sakura explained, watching with interest as Karin checked a slender Druid girl expertly for broken bones with long and nimble fingers, and wondering how the redhead could tell. Karin handed the Druid a vial after explaining that the girl had suffered three broken ribs and a fractured arm.

"We're on our way," Suigetsu called as Sakura moved away and was stopped by Shizune. "Tsunade wants you to prepare for departure," the dark haired woman said breathlessly, her dark eyes bright and glowing translucently. "We've almost finished healing all the wounded that cannot walk." Sakura didn't have a chance to reply before Shizune disappeared again as quickly as she had appeared.

"Ready to go?" Tenten asked quietly from behind her and Sakura nodded at her friend, turning to face her. "But won't the humans see us? I mean, a whole bunch of people pouring out of a subway station that was _supposed _to be abandoned is a little suspicious right?"

Tenten shrugged before walking away and calling over her shoulder. "Humans never notice anything."

Sakura found Naruto talking quietly with a shy looking Hinata.

"You're eyes are beautiful," she heard him say, making Hinata blush bright red, "I've never seen anyone with silver eyes before."

"T-thank you," Hinata squeaked, hiding behind her hair, and Sakura smiled.

xxxxxxx

"I'm _sad_, Deidara," Ino whined, straddling his lap and facing him while he watched her with a dazed expression. "Why are you sad, Ino?"

Ino pouted. "Because Sasuke didn't come back. But you know," her pout became a seductive grin as she leaned in closer and brushed the long fringe away from the Akatsuki's eyes. "I got bored of that toy. The only reason I wanted him so badly was because Sakura got him before I could," the thought of Sakura made Ino's blood boil but she ignored it. "And anyway," she brought her lips to his ear and smirked when she felt him shiver. "I have _you_, don't I?"

_Do you see how powerful I am, Sakura?_

"Always," he murmured.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"Get ready, Sakura," Yugito warned and Sakura took a fighting stance. Now that Lady Tsunade was back and the Mizukage was now on their side, as well as Minato, the Druid Chief being on their side as well, there wasn't much for Sakura to do anymore except to wait for orders.

She had been the leader she had needed to be in order to gather the army needed to save the Leaf and help liberate the Mist, allying the vampires with the Druids, and she was content now to step down and allow the true leaders to take their places and the control of the war.

She was a soldier now and soldiers needed to train in order to get stronger, especially since Sakura knew that she was constantly at a disadvantage.

Yugito lunged forward, a clawed hand extended above her head, and Sakura ran to meet her. The blonde brought her hand down and Sakura caught the Druid's wrist and used it as leverage to propel herself over Yugito's lithe form, landing lightly behind her. What she didn't anticipate was the Druid abruptly dropping into a crouch and quickly sweeping her right leg 360 degrees, catching the side of Sakura's ankles.

Sakura hit the ground hard and yelped, rolling to the side as quickly as she could before Yugito's enormous cat-form could crush her. The cat hesitated, surprised that Sakura wasn't underneath her and the cat's head snapped just before Sakura tackled her from the side.

The two of them rolled across the uneven ground, growling and snarling loudly, snapping and clawing at each other viciously. Sakura screamed when Yugito's teeth sank into her arm, the pain shooting all the way through the rest of her body and causing stars to shoot across her eyes.

It was only after her arm had healed and the pain had ebbed away before she realised that the heavy weight pressing down on her was absent and that Yugito, back in human-form, was looming over her, her face wearing an expression of worried concern. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I didn't mean to bite you."

Sakura sat up and shrugged before winking cheerfully. "It's all part of training." Yugito looked at her quizzically. "You were a lot faster than the last time we fought you know," she noted, "Stronger too." Sakura frowned with surprise. "I didn't notice."

Yugito helped her to her feet and shrugged as she walked away. "Maybe it's just me. See you around, Sakura." Sakura waved, watching her go and turned her gaze to watch Hinata and Yagura spar with one another. Hinata was bleeding, which must of meant that the small Druid boy had finally managed to land a hit on her. She saw Tenten also watching from the side lines and walked over to the brunette.

Tenten's dark eyes widened when they fell on Sakura's battered and bloody appearance. "Sakura, your arm!" She exclaimed and Sakura looked down. The arm where Yugito had bitten her was completely coated in red, like a red sleeve.

"My opponent bit me," Sakura explained. "But it doesn't hurt anymore," she reassured her friend. "It's already healed. I'm not really a long-distance fighter you know?"

"I was watching you," Tenten said quietly and Sakura's eyes moved away from the fight to look back at her friend, sensing the change in the Tenten's tone. "Yeah?"

"You were fast, Sakura," Tenten regarded her thoughtfully, "Very fast, almost _vampire _fast and vicious." Sakura felt the healed bite mark on her arm tingle, remembering Yugito's similar words. "Yugito said something like that too." The brunette looked thoughtful and Sakura watched the multiple emotions flicker quickly across her friend's face.

"I think," Tenten said softly, "That the Vampire Blood might be Turning you, Sakura. Slowly."

Sakura frowned. "Turning? What does that even mean?" She was sure she already knew but she wanted to hear it before she could believe it.

"You're becoming a vampire," Tenten said bluntly, "It isn't unheard of. That's the only explanation I can think of."

_I'm becoming a vampire? _Sakura had never really thought about it before, the idea was exciting and thrilling to her, but also completely terrifying and frightening. Seeing the look of Sakura's face, Tenten added quickly. "But it's just a theory, I can't be sure. Lady Tsunade would probably know more-"

They were distracted when Hinata was flung backwards through the air, landing hard on the ground and rolling a few metres before coming to a stop and jumping back to her feet, grass and leaves tangled in her long hair, making her look like a willowy forest spirit.

"GO, HINATA!" Naruto roared from the opposite side of the training field and Hinata blushed deep red before she smiled with determination and became a blur, appearing in front of Yagura in seconds and continuing their fight with more ferocity than before.

"He makes her try harder," Tenten observed and Sakura nodded, moved by Naruto's affection and Hinata's determination, before turning away. _I guess vampires and Druids really _can _get along after all._

"Going?" Tenten asked as Sakura started to walk away. "I'm going to visit Sasuke again," she called over her shoulder and the brunette nodded before turning back to watch the fight.

xxx

The infirmary was located just up the hill from the training field, a building built into the stone walls of the cavern, and it didn't take long for Sakura to get there. Tenten's words kept ringing through her mind. _"You're becoming a vampire." _Had Sakura already known this? She was sure she had, deep down, but she couldn't be certain of it. She felt that she had known it would happen eventually, she was already so immersed in their world it would strange for her not to join them completely, but she also felt that it was too soon.

_But what am I really afraid of? _She asked herself as she walked through the quiet corridors to the wing were all the mind-control victims were being kept. She froze when it hit her.

_I won't be human anymore._

She would lose her humanity wouldn't she? _No, _she snarled at herself, annoyed by her uncertainty. _That's my decision. Only my decision. _She pushed those thoughts from her mind as she entered the wing, but she couldn't help feeling the small tinge of doubt in the corner of her mind as she entered Sasuke's room.

Sasuke looked so peaceful when he was asleep, like Ino hadn't ever touched him or tainted him. He looked just like the Sasuke that she had gotten to know back up on the surface of Manhattan, the Sasuke that had opened her eyes to a completely different world, the boy that had given her a new family, a family that actually cared about her. The vampire that had filled her lonely existence.

She pulled a chair right up against his bed and brushed his cheek gently. "Wake up, Sasuke," she whispered softly, "I need you." She doubted he was actually going to wake up just because she asked him to, but his eyelids were flickering which meant that he would wake soon enough. The thought made Sakura smile.

She took his hand, the smile fading. "I miss you," she whispered, feeling her eyes mist over, "I don't know if you can even hear me, but I miss you, Sasuke. And I want you to know," she brushed his fringe from his eyes with her free hand, "That I've never blamed you for everything that's happened because the person that did all those things wasn't _you, _it was Ino." She squeezed his hand. "And you don't ever have to ask for my forgiveness because you already have it. But if you need to hear it,"

Sakura kissed his cheek lightly and brought her lips to his ear.

"I forgive you, Sasuke."

xxxxxxx

Sakura shivered as icy wind cut through her, right down to the bone, and brought goose bumps to her skin. She opened her eyes and frowned at the peculiar and unfamiliar surroundings. She was lying on what looked and felt like cold, black marble.

"_Get up, human."_

Sakura sat up immediately and froze. She could see no walls around her, only endless darkness in every direction, and she was alone. There was no sign of where the voice could have come from. Cold laughter echoed through the emptiness around her and Sakura jumped to her feet, feeling her hackles raise and eyeing her surroundings wearily, her skin prickling with anticipation and warning.

Her eyes darted around in circles, scanning the darkness for the source of the voice. "Who are you?"

"_I think you know."_

Sakura frowned because the voice sounded so _familiar_, but she couldn't remember where she had heard it before. "Why can't I see you?" She demanded and the icy laughter rang around her once again, cold and musical, silky and distinctly female.

"_You can't see me because I don't want you to see me. At least not yet."_

Sakura growled with annoyance before smirking. "Why? You aren't _afraid _are you?" The laughter stopped abruptly.

There was a moment of eerie and shocked silence before the girl spoke again.

"_You think, that I am afraid," _Sakura could hear the disbelief and contempt in the girl's voice and knew that she had struck a nerve. _"Of you? Of a human?"_

Sakura snarled, offended. "I think you take humans too _lightly_." The girl sniggered, _"You say it like you actually _are _a human. Or maybe _you _think too lightly of _me._" _

"How can I?" Sakura demanded, "When I don't even know who you are?" There was silence again before Sakura heard light footsteps from behind her, so quiet that if the Vampire's Blood hadn't enhanced her hearing she doubted she would have heard them at all. She turned around quickly to face the source of the sound before it abruptly stopped. She squinted and could just make out the outline of a dark figure, tall and slender.

"_It's pathetic really," _the figure hissed angrily, taking an impossibly graceful step forward, illuminating her body but not her face, and Sakura growled warningly when she saw that they were wearing the same clothes. _"That you don't know who I am despite the fact that I've been with you for almost a month now. That I've never left your side once." _The girl stepped into the light and Sakura went rigid with shock because,

She was looking at herself. An inhuman, colder, darker and more beautiful version of herself. The girl's milk-white skin glowed translucently, as did her sharp emerald eyes and her hair, cherry blossom pink, was short and spiky and elegant, perfect and nothing like her own.

"Who are you?" Sakura breathed, her voice barely audible but the girl standing parallel to her must of heard because her mouth curled upwards in a nasty smile, revealing long and needle-like fangs, her glowing green eyes cold and hard.

"_I'm you."_

Sakura felt herself go cold, like someone had thrown a bucket of icy water over her head. She wasn't sure of exactly what terrified her the most. The fact that the girl's mouth never moved as she spoke, or the fact that this malevolent being standing opposite her claimed that they were the same person.

"Tha-that's not possible," Sakura stammered, swallowing her horror and taking frantic steps back, wanting to get as far away from the evil Sakura standing in front of her as possible. "I'm nothing like you."

The girl strode forward, smile gone and eyes blazing, taking a step forward every time Sakura took a step backwards. _"Just as _I _am nothing like _you_, but that doesn't take away from the fact that you are me and I am you." _Her mouth still didn't move as she spoke but the voice was unmistakeably hers. That was why it had sounded so familiar. It was Sakura's voice, but colder, prettier and less human.

Sakura felt her back come up against something hard, like a wall, but she could see nothing behind her, only blackness stretching for eternity.

"_Don't run away from me!" _The girl shrieked, her fangs bared in a snarl, her eyes narrowed and blazing with fury, her movements a blur as she suddenly closed the distance between them in seconds, with the speed of a vampire.

Sakura shut her eyes tightly, her breaths ragged from fear and she could feel the girl's cool and icy breath fan across her cheeks, their bodies separated only by inches. _I don't want this to be me._

"_You've ignored me for all these weeks," _she said in a low voice, _"You even managed to convince yourself that I wasn't there, but I'm here!" _She shouted, _"And you can't run away from me. I'm here and I'm just as real as you are!"_ Sakura felt the girl's fist hit the invisible wall inches away from the left side of her head.

"_Can you look at me, human? Can you look at yourself?"_

Sakura willed herself to be brave, brave enough to open her eyes. _I'm not afraid of her._

"Get away from me," Sakura snarled, opening her eyes, baring her canines, and straightening up, meeting the vampire girl's furious and enraged gaze calmly and without fear, "Now." The girl froze, surprised and unsettled by Sakura's sudden bravery. She took a startled step back, her face doubtful before her eyes narrowed again and she snarled angrily, eyes flashing dangerously once more. _"How dare you, human."_

"Human," Sakura repeated, taking a step forward and causing the furious vampire to take another step back and feeling more confident. "_I _am human."

The other Sakura narrowed her eyes further and sneered nastily. _"Are you? We both know that that isn't completely true, now is it?" _Seeing Sakura's hesitation she smiled cruelly. _"I _know _you, Sakura Haruno," _she hissed. _"I know how you growl when you're threatened or angry. I know how sharp your teeth are, how you're faster than other humans, how you're stronger than other humans, how your senses of sight and hearing far outmatch that of other humans. You're more of a vampire than a human at this stage, Sakura." _

Sakura stood frozen, horrified by the truth in the other Sakura's words and felt her blood turn to ice when she felt the vampire's cold hand brush her cheek, her body beginning to tremble. _"Your skin isn't warm anymore, Sakura," _she said softly, venomously, pulling her arm back and froze when Sakura suddenly caught her wrist. "Who are you?" She whispered and the other Sakura ripped her arm free effortlessly and narrowed her eyes, her lip curling upwards, revealing her fangs.

"_I am the vampire part that makes up your being," _she snarled, _"I am what was created within you the minute you drank that blood. I am the inner Sakura that can come out anytime I want. I am what's kept you alive up until now!" _She screamed.

Sakura felt empty, detached and, staring at the girl in front of her, how _angry _she was, she knew that the vampire version of herself wasn't lying.

"_You continue to cling to whatever humanity you still have left, too afraid to let it go and accept the inevitable. And you will have to accept it, Sakura. Because you will never escape it." _The girl's face hardened. _"And you will never escape me." _-

The loud crack of Sakura's hand making contact with the other Sakura's cheek echoed loudly through the darkness of their surroundings. The vampire could only gape at Sakura, stunned, her emerald eyes wide with shock as the red hand print appeared across her left cheek.

"That's what Ino's downfall will be and that's what _your _downfall is because you both act like you know _everything," _Sakura snarled, "And if you really are me as you say are, then you should know that I would never become like you. It doesn't matter if I'm not human anymore. I still _have_ my humanity. It doesn't matter if I Turn completely because I _know _my humanity will still be there," Sakura's angry eyes bored holes into the horrified and glowing eyes of the girl in front of her. "And you're _jealous _of me. Because there's _nothing _human about you."

Sakura turned away and started to walk, not knowing which direction she was moving in but she knew that it would take her where she wanted to go.

"_You're just weak!" _The other Sakura shrieked hysterically from behind her, _"You're just a stupid human that's weak! You're nothing! You're just weak!"_

"No," Sakura said sadly, not turning around,

"_You're _the one that's weak."

xxx

Sakura recognised that her surroundings had changed. She was sitting in the chair pulled right up against Sasuke's bed again and her head was resting on his chest. She must have fallen asleep waiting for him to wake up.

She was awake now, no longer fighting her inner self in her subconscious, but she kept her eyes firmly closed.

_Thank you. I will never forget what you have taught me. _

The other Sakura tilted her head in acknowledgment, her large eyes warm now instead of cold.

"_Promise me that you will never lose yourself, Sakura Haruno, and that you will never stray from the path you have laid down for yourself."_

Sakura opened her eyes, feeling freer than she had ever felt before.

"I promise."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Let's begin the Council," Ino snapped, taking her seat at the head of the table. The Tsuchikage, under the influence of her father, sat to her right and the Raikage, under the influence of her mother, sat to her left. Both Kages had been instructed to do as they were told. The Akatsuki stood in all corners of the room, also part of the Council, Itachi's Sharingan activated, searching for spies.

"It's safe to begin, Ino," Itachi nodded, but he kept his Sharingan activated just in case.

"What of the Leaf?" Ino demanded, flicking her fringe from her eyes. "Was it destroyed?"

"Completely destroyed," the Tsuchikage replied blankly and Ino could hear Deidara snigger triumphantly from behind her, making her grin. "Excellent."

"I suppose the humans have gone down there to investigate," a white-haired boy named Hidan rolled his eyes whilst examining the silver triangle symbol that hung around his neck, an evil smirk on his lips. "Not that they'll find anything anyway. Maybe a shell or two but no concrete evidence to explain it."

"Humans are stupid," Obito Uchiha from the Akatsuki shrugged, running a pale and slender hand through his short, black hair. "They can't even see what's right in front of them. They won't find anything."

"It's really quite pathetic," Kakazu snorted, adjusting the black mask that never left his face, hiding everything accept his mismatched eyes, one glowing green and the other glowing red. "Though one human has proved me wrong."

"The pink-haired Halfling doesn't really count as a human anymore," Itachi said in a low voice, "You cannot compare her to other humans. She's half like us now, perhaps even more so, which makes her _different."_

"Yet, Itachi," the only female vampire in the Akatsuki, Konan, hissed, narrowing her eyes at him and crossing her arms. "She was born a human which means she will still have her humanity. Something none of us here have." The blue-haired girl smirked. "Something _you _wish you had." Itachi growled warningly and the vampire girl dropped the subject and averted her gaze.

"Bickering won't help us win this _war_," Ino said loudly, rising in her seat and gaining everyone's attention once more.

"No one's heard anything from Mei Terumi," Kisame of the Akatsuki pointed out, running a hand through his dark blue hair. The boy reminded Ino a lot of a shark, with his strange eyes and white skin that seemed to almost glow pale blue, depending on which angle the light caught him. The slitted scars on either side of his neck also gave her the impression that he had gills. "Has there been any communication from the Mizukage? Has there been any sign of her at all?"

"No," Ino said shortly. "But my sources are looking into it. She is either being held hostage by the enemy, changed sides or was killed in the explosion, but I find that highly unlikely." She paused. "We will make our move on the Mist only after we have discovered the reasons for her absence."

"What about the Sand?" Sasori asked quietly from beside the door, the expression on his beautiful and almost angelic face was disinterested and bored as usual but Ino didn't miss the glimmer curiosity in the boy's cold, golden eyes.

"Completely destroyed," the Tsuchikage repeated and Ino saw a shadow cross over the red-haired Akatsuki's face, almost like the thought of his old home being destroyed disturbed him, darkening his perfect features, before it became perfectly blank once again, a mask.

"And the inhabitants of both?" Ino asked warningly, "What of them?" The room was silent for a moment before anyone spoke and Ino narrowed her eyes, greatly displeased that her Council was uncertain. Every detail had to be precise, every detail had to be perfect. "Well?"

"There were survivors," her father said at last, "A lot of them. But we are unsure of their current location."

"The dungeons? I'm sure the explosion never reached there."

"It didn't, but they were empty. We found traces of the enemy's scent leaving the tunnel to the surface, but then the trail goes cold. We think Tsunade was definitely one of them as well as Sakura Haruno."

Ino froze and her voice dropped to a deadly whisper, eyes narrowed to slits. "The human survived?" Iniochi winced but nodded. "Yes, I believe so."

"And Karin?"

"Changed sides. She is with the enemy now." He flinched, expecting his daughter to react explosively, to hit him, to destroy something, to kill someone and it seemed that everyone in the room expected the same thing. Everyone was watching her, waiting to see Ino's reaction. They were surprised when all she did was lean back into her seat, looking thoughtful, her chin resting on her slender, intertwined fingers, completely calm and collected.

_It makes sense. _"Suggestions?" She asked softly, her eyes calculating and like two cyan-blue daggers.

"We still have Shikamaru, Choji, Shino and Lee," Itachi said quietly, "But hostages won't work a second time. It is most likely that the enemy already know that they are under your control."

"Then we will avoid resorting to such tactics a second time," she replied coolly, "Any other ideas?" her eyes darted around the room, searching every face. No answer came.

"Well then," she said softly. A dark shadow crossed over the blonde girl's features and she smiled nastily, revealing gleaming fangs, like two silver needles. "Seeing as there is no other alternative I suppose there is only one thing left to do to draw the vermin out and find their location. Vampire guerrilla warfare begins as of now." All eyes in the room fell on her, surprised by her surprisingly logical and strategic decision.

"Send out the squads."

_Be ready, Sakura._

xxxxxxx

The infirmary was bustling with activity when Sakura arrived. Medic vampires and Druids hurried along the corridors, chatting to one another excitedly in hushed voices, but Sakura's enhanced hearing enabled her to hear what they were saying easily enough.

"I'm surprised it took so long…"

"Tell me what happened again?"

"Healer's Blood really can cure _everything_…"

"And then they all just woke up…"

"Everyone's heading down to the mind-control wing…" Sakura's heart beat sped up. The mind control victims were waking up.

_Sasuke. _

She broke into a run down the busy corridors, startling both Druids and vampires as she ran passed them, the speed at which she was running causing the papers in their arms to fly everywhere in all directions. "Sorry!" She called over her shoulder to the stunned and surprised faces as she turned a sharp corner and then another. The wing was just up ahead.

Sakura skidded sharply to a stop in front of the two swinging doors that opened outwards into the wing where Sasuke was being kept. She placed her hands lightly over the metallic, silver handles, taking a deep breath before throwing them open and stepping lightly into the wing.

The wing was noisy with the buzzing sounds of families and friends finally seeing their loved ones again and Sakura could hear laughter, apologies, weeping and both excited and sober conversations from the rooms lining either side of the corridor.

Sakura walked past the rooms, waving to and smiling at the vampires who called her name and called out thankyou's and praise as she passed, feeling proud that she had been able to make an impact in this war. That she had proven that even the mind-control could be prevented and cured.

Two tall, stoic and elegant vampire men with very long brown hair, twins, Sakura was sure because they looked completely identical to one another except for one of them having an identical tattoo to Neji's across his forehead and the other one not, emerged from one of the rooms, catching sight of her with their pupiless, silver eyes.

_Hyuugas_, Sakura thought immediately, recognising Neji's and Hinata's features; the way they carried themselves, the long, dead straight hair, willowy build, the silver eyes and delicate, wise and pretty faces.

"Sakura Haruno," the one with the tattoo said, approaching her and taking her hands in his. Sakura bowed her head in a respectful gesture, feeling slightly stunned by the man's forwardness.

"Thank you for saving my son," he said sincerely with open gratitude and Sakura widened her eyes with surprise. "You're Neji's dad?" The man nodded, releasing her hands, and gestured at the identical man standing beside him. "This is my brother, the head of the Hyuuga Clan and also Hinata's father. He has a seat in our new war Council."

"Thank you for saving my nephew," he said softly, cupping the side of her face in a fatherly gesture, something Sakura couldn't remember her father ever doing. "And for liberating the Hidden Leaf. You are an impressive human. We would have been long defeated by now if it hadn't been for everything you have done for us, despite only knowing us for such a short time."

"Thank you," she whispered, unsure of how else to respond and the twins smiled knowingly. "We will leave you now, Sakura Haruno. I am sure you have your own matters to attend to."

Sakura stood still as she heard their footsteps retreat until finally she heard the muffled sound of the swinging doors closing behind them as they made their exit.

_I feel so happy, _she realised as she continued forward again, glancing into the room where Neji was being accommodated. Tenten was sitting beside his bed, holding his hand and talking to him softly. His head hung forward, his long hair curtaining his face and Sakura could hear Tenten's comforting words.

She was trying to _console _him Sakura realised with a painful pang as she heard him whisper the same thing over and over, clutching the brunette's small hand tightly. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I don't blame you," Tenten said seriously, using her free hand to grip his chin and turn his face so that he was looking at her. "Don't do this to yourself."

"But I hurt you."

"It doesn't matter. Look at, no look at me, Neji. I'm fine. It wasn't your fault."

Sakura looked away from them and moved on before stopping to look into the next room where she could hear familiar voices.

Kiba's room.

He had the same haunted and dark look in his eyes but he definitely looked a lot more cheerful and Sakura expected nothing less from the cocky brunette boy. He would get through this a lot easier than most of the victims because he was definitely strong.

Hinata and Naruto were standing beside his bed and Kiba, never having seen or spoken to a Druid before was chatting animatedly with him and it looked as though Naruto was more than happily chatting back. _Vampire and Druid, _Sakura thought, comforted by the sight. Hinata played with her hair, smiling and occasionally adding to the conversation, happy but also very sad. For Neji, Sakura was sure.

Naruto said something that made Kiba and Hinata laugh and Sakura smiled sadly as she moved on, continuing down the corridor. She would visit them both later because Sasuke probably needed her the most now. He would have been the most affected by what had happened.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she reached the end of the corridor where she knew his room was, having visited him many times already, and Mikoto Uchiha stepped through the doorway.

The expression on her pretty and delicate face wasn't the one Sakura was expecting, it was sad and Sakura felt her stomach twist with dread and anxiety. Mikoto looked up when she saw Sakura and gave her a relieved and motherly smile, pulling Sakura into a warm hug. "Oh, Sakura, my child." Another parental gesture Sakura wasn't accostumed to but appreciated all the same. "I'm so glad you're alright, I've been so worried."

_So kind, _Sakura thought as the petite but very strong woman released her, smiling gently and cupping her cheek softly before letting her arm drop back down to her side. "So brave," she said quietly. "I haven't known you for very long but you're like a daughter to me."

Sakura smiled back at her gratefully, feeling her eyes mist over but forced herself not to get emotional. "You're the closest thing to a mother I've ever known," she answered sincerely, remembering her warm welcome to the Uchiha Manor, the clothes Mikoto had given her, everything the dark-haired woman had done for her to make her feel like she belonged.

Sakura was surprised when Fugaku Uchiha didn't follow through the door after his wife. Surely he had also visited his son?

"Is Sasuke's dad still in their?" She asked worriedly, "Because I'll wait and give them privacy." She watched as Mikoto's expression turned sad again. "No, I'm afraid not. He isn't there."

"Where is he?" Sakura asked, surprised that he wasn't there at all and Mikoto smiled sadly. "He's missing. He was never found after the battle in the Leaf, child."

Sakura felt her stomach flip with guilt and sympathy for the woman standing in front of her. "I'm so sorry," she gasped, feeling guilty that she had even asked and Mikoto gave her a sad smile, brushing a strand of Sakura's hair from her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. "It is not your fault."

"But-" Sakura began before she was cut off. "My son," Mikoto said softly. "I have visited him here often, and every time," her dark doe eyes seemed to search Sakura's face, "He calls your name. He begs for your forgiveness. You are the most precious thing he has."

Her dark eyes locked onto Sakura's, wise and gentle but also hardened by grief and pain and immortality. "Thank you," she said in a strong voice, "For being there for my son."

Sakura wanted to reply but Mikoto was already gone and Sakura hadn't been sure of what she would have said anyway, only that hearing those words made her feel so incredibly warm inside and like some of the heavy weight on her shoulders had been lifted. A small gust of wind moved through Sakura's hair and marked the direction of where Mikoto had disappeared to.

_Sasuke, I will never leave your side, _she vowed silently. _But why did your mother look so sad? _Sakura wasn't sure if she wanted to find out but she willed herself to be brave and stepped slowly through the doorway. She froze in place, feeling disappointment like a slap in the face and ice inch its way through her veins when Tsunade, examining the still unconscious Sasuke with a doctor's touch, looked up at her with grim and grave eyes.

"He didn't wake up," she breathed, moving to stand beside his bed on the opposite side where Tsunade was standing, frowning and fighting back angry tears of disappointment and frustration. "But I don't understand," she whispered. "He was given blood first." Her voice trembled. "He should have _woken up first_." _Did I fail you again, Sasuke?_

"Did something go wrong? Why can't he wake up?" She demanded and the Hokage shook her head slowly, her expression grave.

"I don't think it's a matter of whether he _can _wake up," Tsunade said in a low voice and Sakura gently brushed his fringe away from his eyes. "Then _why?_" She whispered, desperately wanting to know the answer so that she could help him and she looked up quickly when Tsunade caught her wrist to gain her attention.

Her large, golden eyes were wide and so completely serious that Sakura couldn't help but feel a tinge of fear for what the beautiful woman might say.

"I don't think he _wants _to wake up."

"What?" Sakura refused to believe it and she roughly pulled her arm out of the Hokage's grip. "No. That doesn't make sense." She shook her head. "It _doesn't make sense_."

"Doesn't it?" Tsunade asked sadly, looking down at Sasuke's peaceful, sleeping face. "Because I think it does. He's afraid, Sakura. Ino made him do _terrible _things." She shook her head sadly and stroked his hair in an almost motherly gesture. "And I fear that he may never forgive himself." Sakura didn't say anything; she only stood frozen in place, trembling as what the Hokage said sank in.

Tsunade straightened up and moved to the door and looked over her shoulder at Sakura. "Sakura," she called softly and Sakura looked up, her face contorted with anguish.

"The Council starts in an hour. You have a seat so you are expected to be there."

Sakura gave the Hokage a strained smile. "Yes, of course," she said, but her voice shook slightly and the Hokage gave her a sad smile before she vanished, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone.

Sakura stood still for a moment, feeling something in her snap before balling up her fists from anger. At last, she found her voice. It was a cold and icy voice, so angry it surprised her. "Wake up, Sasuke," she said quietly, silent tears streaming down her face. "You're stronger than this and you don't have to punish yourself for something you had no control of." _Why won't you wake up? How can you let Ino win?_

Her voice suddenly rose to a scream. "Stop being such a coward!" The tears ran faster and she shook his shoulders roughly. "How can you let Ino win?! I know you can hear me, Sasuke and you can't run away from this! You're stronger than this," she repeated, releasing him and sinking into the chair propped up beside his bed.

"You were the reason I stayed strong," she said softly, taking his hand. "The reason that I kept fighting, that I didn't give up, that I didn't let Ino break me was so that I could see the boy that I took in from the rain again because to me you're _that special_."

"So please," she stood and leaned over him to press her lips softly to his. "Think about what I've said. I need you, Sasuke."

"And I hope you still need me."

In his sleep, Sasuke frowned and Sakura felt him grip her hand tightly. "Always, Sakura," he murmured and Sakura smiled through her tears.

xxx

"The Council may begin," Tsunade said seriously and everyone took their seats around the large, stone table.

Sakura felt honoured to be considered worthy and important enough to be sitting amongst the strong and powerful leaders that lined the table. Karin sat to her left, being the person who had been the closest to Ino for a time and an important source of Intel on the enemy, and Naruto sat to her right, being the son of the Druid Chief.

Minato Namikaze, the Mizukage, Hinata's father, Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto's mother, and Temari were also seated around the table.

"Before we begin," Tsunade said, her voice commanding and powerful, the voice of a leader, "It is important that I introduce you all to the new Kazekage of the Suna and the Sand." Sakura leaned forward, curious to see who it was and curious murmurs broke out amongst those seated at the table.

"Temari no Sabaku," Tsunade announced and Sakura gaped at the blonde sitting at opposite ends from her with stunned surprise. The war had taken its toll on Temari. She looked more like an adult than a teenager now and her dark eyes were hard and wise, solemn and grave, but also kind and proud. The eyes of a Kage and she was powerful.

She looked older since Sakura had last seen her before the battle in the Leaf but Sakura knew that she hadn't actually aged a day since then.

_She will be a good Kage._

The members around the table offered Temari congratulations and gestures of acknowledgment and respect, which she returned.

"Now the Council may properly begin."

"Ino has sent out squads to the surface," the Mizukage stated immediately and Tsunade frowned. "This will interfere with our relocation to the Mist. How do you know this?"

Mei flicked her hair over her shoulder and propped her chin up on her intertwined fingers with a smug expression on her face but Sakura could tell that the Mizukage still understood how serious the situation was. "Having spies up on the surface allows me to know many things." She straightened up. "She is attempting to draw us out and to discover our location."

"Guerrilla warfare," Minato said in a low voice and Mei nodded.

"We'll have send out our own squads," Tsunade said quietly, "Distract the enemy and draw them away far enough to allow the move to happen," Karin interjected. "But isn't our sending our own squads what she wants, Lady Tsunade?"

"Oh almost certainly," Tsunade replied.

"But she's left us with no other options."

xxx

"They're sending me up to the surface, Sasuke," Sakura said quietly, fastening the buckles on her dark leather leggings and lacing up her boots. "I'm part of a squad now. Squad seven." She faltered with the laces. "I'm so afraid," she whispered, but she had been afraid from the very beginning, there hadn't been a moment when she hadn't been afraid, but she was also brave.

She had gone into every battle, ready to lose everything if meant protecting the supernatural beings she had come to know and love as her family and friends because she wasn't prepared to lose them to someone as evil and cruel as Ino. Because this was the world she truly belonged to now.

She finished lacing her boots and buckled the buckles of the sleeveless leather vest she had on over her tank top and stood, gazing down at Sasuke's beautiful and peaceful face. _My fallen angel._

"I don't know if I'll come back," she said softly, gently trailing the lines of his face with her fingertips, wanting to memorize every detail. "So I want you to know."

She brought her lips to his ear. "I love you, Sasuke." _I always have and I always will._

xxx

Sakura looked at the faces of her squad members. Naruto and one of Tsunade's spies, Sai. The dark haired boy looked strikingly like Sasuke with the same pale skin, obsidian eyes and very dark hair. He looked like a spy, especially dressed in black leather and his smile was disarming and Sakura couldn't really tell if it was meant to be friendly or creepy, but if Tsunade trusted him, so would she.

The other squads, Neji and Tenten, and Hinata and Kiba, as well as others Sakura didn't know had been dispatched already at separate times so as not to give away their location.

"Ready, Sakura?" Naruto asked, also dressed in the dark leather vampires wore before going into battle and Sakura nodded with the ghost of a smile.

"Let's go."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The skies above Manhattan where a mixture of grey and dark blue clouds, crying raindrop tears and bathing the city in a dark and shadowy twilight despite it only being 4pm in the afternoon.

Sakura looked up expectantly at the dark-haired boy crouched in shadows, on the balcony of some run-down apartment building, almost completely hidden from sight, scouting for the enemy. Her eyes darted around her, her body tense with anticipation and anxiety, searching the empty streets and pavements, empty balconies, puddles of rainwater appearing all over the place, and the corners of dark alleyways, looking for Naruto who she knew was also watching the dark-haired boy from wherever he was hiding.

The rain had plastered her hair to her face and her clothes where almost completely soaked through, but she ignored it and pressed her back further against the wall of the fire escape, waiting with baited breath and hoping she was hidden from sight.

Sai gave the signal before vanishing in an instant and Sakura immediately leapt over the railing, falling five meters before landing lightly on wet, concrete pavement and taking off at top speed to the next rendezvous point. She moved too quickly for any humans to see her, not that there were any out in this weather, but it wasn't humans she was worried about as she raced along the pavements and leapt gracefully from balcony to balcony, keeping to the shadows and high-ground if possible.

The scary part was that the enemy could have been anywhere because vampires were professionals when it came to stealth and going unseen by unwanted eyes, which was why every small sound her sensitive ears picked up made her eyes dart around suspiciously as she moved through the concrete jungle.

Everything about Manhattan was still so familiar to her, the tall buildings, the sound of traffic in the distance, all the concrete and grime, but also completely unfamiliar at the same time having been away from it for so long. Sakura stopped in front of a small electronics shop with nine TV's stacked on top of one another behind the large glass display window, showing the news. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, finding every shadow and every obvious hiding place.

Vampire guerrilla warfare was almost like Ino's twisted game of hide-and-seek, Sakura thought bitterly as the rain soaked through her clothes, only this wasn't a game. _Make a mistake, and you die, _Sakura told herself.

"Police are still investigating the two mysterious explosions that occurred beneath the city of Manhattan only a few days ago," the young and attractive blonde news anchor said professionally, "But have still been unable to find any leads to explain them."

"And I doubt they ever will," Sakura said gravely to the woman on the TV screens, quickly checking her surroundings again before taking off once more.

The rendezvous point was an old, abandoned and crumbling motel she remembered passing and gazing at multiple times in the past and Sakura silently ducked into the dark and dirty alleyway behind it to get out of the open.

The warning prickling sensation alerting her of danger never came and Sakura agilely ducked through an empty window frame where Naruto and Sai were waiting for her. It appeared that Druids were just as inhumanely fast as vampires were, Sakura noted, surprised that Naruto had gotten there before she had.

The three of them crouched in the shadows, as far away from the windows as they could.

"Did you see anything while you were up there, Sai?" Sakura asked in a hushed voice, taking the opportunity to wring the water out of her hair before they moved out into the rain again. The dark-haired boy nodded.

"Enemy squads about two blocks from here," he said quietly, "I only saw one squad but there may be more," he added gravely. "Are they anyone we know?" Naruto asked and Sai shook his head apologetically. "I didn't get the opportunity to see their faces."

"Then we'll just have to find them before they find us," Sakura said softly and her teammates agreed.

They didn't split this time as they leapt and raced across rooftops, the sky had grown darker as night began to fall, made even darker by the clouds, so they didn't need to keep to the shadows anymore. They dropped into another alleyway, where three crouched figures were waiting for them.

Sakura and her companions growled warningly at the enemy, the sound of the three of them mixed together reminding her, satisfyingly, of an angry pack of wolves, threatening, as the enemy squad stood and did the same, taking fighting stances. They weren't people Sakura knew and she was glad.

The blonde in the front, probably from the Yamanaka Clan, hissed and smiled nastily, her teeth startlingly white against the darkness. "There you are, Halfling," she snarled and the three enemy vampires lunged forward, blurs and Sakura, Naruto and Sai ran to meet them, two vampires and an enormous fox.

The alley was filled with the vicious sounds of snarling and growling, like fighting dogs, as both sides fought for the kill.

Sai moved incredibly fast, with an artist's grace, evading and striking with delicate precision and Naruto had his opponent pinned to the ground. The only thing the vampire man could really do was use all of his strength to hold the enormous snarling fox back as Naruto viciously snapped and fought to tear his throat out.

Sakura ducked as the blonde lashed out with a silver dagger, wanting to avoid it at all costs and remembering how painfully silver burned.

"I wonder," the girl said breathlessly as she swung again, incredibly fast, "Does silver burn Halflings?" Sakura didn't reply as she evaded once more and the girl smiled nastily. "Want to find out?" Seeing an opening, Sakura spun and kicked the knife from her hand, sending her staggering backwards with shock and surprise. _I guess I'll always be underestimated._

Sakura jumped backwards to gain distance from her opponent and the girl shrieked with rage and vanished.

Sakura didn't see her again until it was too late. The blonde tackled her roughly after appearing in front of Sakura seconds after vanishing, and they both hit the ground hard, clawing and biting and snarling viciously as they both fought to be the one on top. The girl managed to pin Sakura to the ground and Sakura fought against her powerful grip, painfully reminded of the night Ino had killed Gaara, the reminder only making her fight harder.

She froze and screamed as a blade was driven into left side of her collarbone, the burning pain making her writhe beneath her grinning captor.

"Silver stops the effect of Healer's Blood, so how 'bout I just leave that in there huh?" the blonde sneered.

"Sakura!" Sai called out with dismay but was silenced as his opponent threw him roughly into one of the brick walls lining the alleyway. The force of the impact cracked the bricks of the wall and Sai spat out blood as he got back on his feet, dark eyes blazing.

"I'm the master of knives," the girl smiled nastily, flashing her fangs at Sakura to gain her attention. "You didn't think I only carried _one,_ did you? My cousin Ino was right. You _are _pathetic." The mention of Ino's name made Sakura seethe.

_I won't let it end like this. _Sakura roughly pulled her right arm free, and gripped the silver handle, forcing herself to ignoring the blisters forming on her hand and the pain, and the disturbing thought, of where the blade was burning her from the _inside_.

"I know the master of knives," she hissed painfully and the blonde loosened her grip with shock as Sakura pulled the knife free, the burning in her hand ceasing as the blade was now bathed in her own blood. "And she isn't _you._" Sakura rolled suddenly so that she was the one on top and drove the silver blade into the blonde's chest and into her heart.

"Tell _that _to your cousin."

The blonde gasped once before she became still. Her large, cyan-blue eyes now glassy and lifeless as they gazed up at her with hate and shock and Sakura closed them, not wanting them to look at her anymore and removed the dagger. She fell sideways off of the blonde, letting go of the blade, and lay on her back as her wounds healed, gazing up at the dark sky as raindrops landed on her face, her heart hammering with adrenaline.

The alleyway went silent, all but for the soft patter of the raindrops. Naruto came up beside Sakura, limping slightly, and whined, touching his wet nose to her forehead with concern, his muzzle bloody.

"I'm okay," Sakura said reassuringly, sitting up and Sai pulled her lightly to her feet. Blood was running from his hairline and down the side of his face but other than that, he looked fine. Naruto returned to human form and shakily wiped the blood off of his mouth. He spat with disgust and winced as the movement jostled his arm.

"What's wrong with your arm?" Sakura asked worriedly, noticing the dark bruising and off angle of his elbow.

"Bastard crushed it," Naruto muttered and Sai cleared the wall of the motel in seconds before looking down at his two teammates from the roof. "I'll keep lookout while you heal him, Sakura," he explained quickly before he vanished from sight.

Sakura didn't waste any time and quickly bit into the soft side of her arm and offered the bleeding bite mark to Naruto who drank quickly and sighed with relief as his arm healed. "Thanks."

Sai landed lightly beside them, looking tense. "We have two squads on their way. They heard the fight." Sakura snapped back to attention and her eyes darted around the street outside of the alley anxiously.

"We need to get to high ground. Maybe we can ambush them," Naruto said seriously and it didn't take long for the three of them to get to the motel's flat, square roof before they crouched low, completely alert and on the lookout for the enemy.

Sakura closed her eyes, listening intently until she heard it. The sound of vampires running, so quiet it was almost impossible to hear at all. She opened her eyes quickly and watched as two enemy squads appeared suddenly from opposite ends of the alley. She held her breath, afraid they might hear her.

The vampires snarled angrily as they slowly circled the dead bodies, but not as if they cared, it was more in a way that they had been inconvenienced, and Sakura squinted to get a better view of the seven enemy figures, recognising four of them with a nauseas feeling.

"They couldn't have gotten far," Shikamaru said in a low voice, examining the blonde Yamanaka girl and the bloody dagger lying beside her body. Lee examined Naruto's dead opponent. "A Druid ripped this one's throat out," he said and Shino adjusted his dark glasses and nodded with agreement. Sakura didn't even have to hear Choji say anything to know that he was there as well.

_Now,_ Sakura thought and waited expectantly for Sai to give the signal again before leaping agilely from the edge of the roof. Furious and confused snarls and growls erupted loudly from within the alley as they rained down on their opponents. Sakura heard her heart beating loudly in her ears as she sailed to the ground and landed on a tall man's shoulders before snapping his neck sharply and cleanly and leaping to her next opponent, feeling adrenaline coursing through her veins.

She evaded quickly as the brunette girl, a Cloud vampire, lashed out with silver-tipped and clawed fingers before Naruto, in fox-form, tackled her roughly from the side. She went down with a strangled cry. Sakura barely had time to catch her breath before it was knocked out of her again when Lee suddenly appeared at her side and threw her roughly into the concrete wall of the motel.

She saw stars as the back of her head hit the hard surface and barely ducked in time as Lee's fist hit the wall where her head had been only seconds before without hesitation. There was a deep crater left in the concrete when he pulled his arm back and Sakura tackled him from behind, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and using her legs to keep his arms pinned at his sides. "Lee, it's me!" She cried between breaths, struggling to hold on as he fought violently against her grip.

"I _know_ who you are," he hissed venomously, none of the youthful cheerfulness and charm Sakura remembered evident in the tall boy now as he threw her off of him and over his head. She hit the ground hard and rolled, her head hitting the sharp corner of an iron dumpster, before coming to a painful stop. She vaguely saw Sai viciously sink his fangs into the neck of his opponent before blood ran into her eyes from a cut just above her hairline.

She quickly wiped it away and scrambled unsteadily to her feet just as Lee threw her onto her back again and pinned her to the ground.

"Lee!" Sakura cried frantically as she struggled desperately against his powerful grip. He hissed, baring his fangs.

_He's going to bite me_, Sakura thought with panic, knowing that he was aiming for her neck. She wouldn't have enough time to heal before the bite killed her. She threw her arm up just as he moved to bite down, realising that her blood would enter his mouth and he would be forced to swallow it. He tried to pull back, realising his mistake, but it was too late.

His fangs sank into her arm and Sakura hissed with pain, but the effect of her blood entering his mouth was immediate. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed sideways off of her, crying and hissing with pain before falling silent. She sat up quickly and kissed the unconscious boy's cheek, feeling electrified. _It's over now, Lee. You're free. You don't have to be her pawn anymore._

She jumped to her feet and her eyes scanned the chaos around her. She watched Sai strike Choji hard in the stomach, causing the large boy to gasp, before forcing the shimmering red contents of a small vial down his throat. Choji collapsed, writhing with pain before becoming still as the Healer's Blood took effect.

_That's two down,_ Sakura thought before throwing herself back into the fray. She spun on her left leg and kicked out with her right leg. Her boot struck the face of her opponent, hard, sending her staggering backwards with a bleeding lip before Naruto brought her down.

"But why are you so _strong_?!" The girl shrieked, thrashing desperately under Naruto's weight, her glowing eyes wide with fear. "You're _human_!"

"Not anymore," Sakura said inaudibly, turning away to help Sai take down Shikamaru and to not have to watch as Naruto tore out the girl's throat before tackling Shino, quickly changing to human-form as they both hit the ground. They rolled together, clawing and biting and Sakura saw Shino's fangs sink into Naruto's shoulder before the Druid's fist hit the vampire's face, cracking the dark lenses of his glasses.

"_Druid,_" Shino spat, spraying blood all over the blonde's face before Naruto shoved a vial into his mouth, using one arm to hold him down and the other to force him to swallow.

Sai had one of Shikamaru's arms and Sakura had the other. He was a lot stronger than he had once appeared to be back when Sakura had first met him. He snarled furiously and threw her off of him, causing her to slam into the wall once again, hitting it so hard the concrete cracked. She ignored he pain in her shoulder blades and quickly regained her balance before Naruto tossed her his empty vial and took her place in holding Shikamaru down.

The two boys forced the thrashing vampire onto his knees, snarling and growling furiously like a cornered dog as Sakura bit into her arm and quickly refilled the vial before the cut healed itself. Satisfied that it was enough, she stalked forward.

She grabbed Shikamaru's chin and roughly forced him to look up at her, looking into his angry, dark eyes and feeling a painful pang in her chest. Recognition sparked in them and he faltered. That was when Sakura seized the opportunity and forced him to drink the vial's contents, finally freeing him from Ino's control. The battle was over. Naruto and Sai released Shikamaru's jerking arms and let him fall forwards onto the ground.

"Sai," Sakura said breathlessly, flexing her hands as her wounds fully healed themselves. "You need to go and scout the perimeter for other squads and contact some Runners to take Lee, Shino, Choji and Shikamaru back to the Druids' Land and to the infirmary for medical treatment." Sai nodded without question and vanished before Sakura could even blink.

Sakura looked around the alley and grimaced at the blood, gore and corpses that littered the ground and the walls. She saw that Naruto wore the same grim expression that she was sure adorned her face as well.

"How will the humans not find this?" She asked quietly as Sai appeared at their sides once more. _He's so fast. _She thought, amazed at how quickly he had returned.

"Cleaners," he said, wiping the blood off the side of his face and seeing Sakura's quizzical expression, he explained further. "The Cleaners are an elite group of vampires, positioned around every Hidden Village in existence. They take no sides when it comes to war and politics but still their role is _vital _for all of our survival."

"It's their job to clean up after battles and see to it that the bodies are taken care of so that the humans may remain in the dark about the existence of the supernatural," Naruto finished for him, rolling his shoulders. Sakura was unable to stop her eyes from scanning their surroundings in hopes of glimpsing one of the mysterious Cleaners.

"You won't see them," Naruto smirked and Sakura blushed. "So what do we do now?" She questioned seriously as the mood of the group darkened.

"We move on," Sai replied gravely, "And eliminate the enemy."

Sakura looked around at every set of dead and glassy eyes. They all seemed to be looking at her, _accusing_ her, the blonde most of all despite her eyes being closed, and Sakura shuddered, turning away with a nauseas feeling. _I killed her. But I've killed others before, so why her in particular?_

"_War changes a person," _she remembered Naruto saying as they took off again.

_Will Sasuke even recognise me if I come back?_


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Hey, Sasuke." Karin sat up straight in her chair, propped up next to Sasuke's bed and absentmindedly adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her delicate nose. "It's been a while hasn't it."

Sasuke didn't answer and Karin would have been surprised if he had. She nervously twiddled her thumbs. "You're probably wondering why I'm talking to you," she said softly. Sasuke frowned in his sleep and Karin sighed wearily. "You're probably even wondering about what I'm even _doing _here." Images of what Ino had made her do flashed painfully across her eyes and she winced at the memories of the things she had done under the will of someone else. She was sure she was one of the _last _people Sasuke wanted talking to him, having helped Ino gain control of him.

She didn't say anything for a while and gazed distantly out of the window on the far left side of the room, watching both vampires and Druids train together in the training grounds down the hill from the infirmary. _Not as enemies but as comrades now, _she thought with satisfaction.

"I'm the same as you," she said at last, turning her gaze back to the raven-haired boy, who, she was sure, was furiously calculating everything she said behind closed eyelids.

"You probably don't believe me," she added with a bitter smile, "But Ino also made me into something I'm not, the same as what she did to _you_, but it was done slowly over years, making it look as though everything I did was out of my _own _free will instead of hers." She fell silent again, giving Sasuke time to think about what she had said.

"There are so many things I still want to blame myself for, that I _did _blame myself for, for a while," she said, but her voice sounded far away, like she was lost in her memories of the past. "For being too helpless, too stupid, too ignorant and naïve for becoming her friend in the first place. Too _weak _to fight against it. The list goes on." She paused again before continuing.

"Suigetsu and the Mizukage helped me, but I came to the conclusion on my own." She looked down at Sasuke with piercing, ruby-red eyes. "I came to the conclusion that none of it was my fault. That there was _nothing _I could have done to prevent what had happened and there was no way I could have known just how much of a monster Ino was. Blaming myself and sulking about it wasn't going to help me to go out there and _do _something to try and fix the things I had done. I guess what I'm trying to tell you is this:"

"It's not your fault, Sasuke," she pressed, placing her hand over the hand resting on his chest. "No one blames you for _any _of this, so you can wake up now." Sasuke gave her no response and Karin sighed again with exasperation and pointed to the stone ceiling.

"Sakura's up there right now. Fighting and risking her life for us even though she's only known about us for such a short time. She's challenging and changing everything about our world as we know it," she said in a low voice, leaning closer to him. "And sure, she's fighting for everyone but I think she's fighting for _you _most of all, because she loves you," she said softly before releasing his hand and straitening up in her seat.

"You should be there when she gets back," she said seriously, "Sakura's strong so she hides her pain and strain well, but I think she'll need you when she returns. The battlefield changes a person and I don't know if she'll be able to cope with those changes on her own."

Karin stood and slowly made her way to the doorway, deciding that she had gotten her point across.

She stopped herself in the doorframe and turned to face him before saying quietly, "All I'm saying is, Sakura's created a whole new world out there now, for all of us, and I think you should be awake to see it. Just think about what I've said, okay? For _her _sake at least."

"Goodbye, Sasuke," she called over her shoulder as she stepped out into the corridor of the mind-control wing.

"I doubt I could have done that better myself, youngling," the Mizukage said, falling into step beside the redhead who squeaked with surprise. "Mizukage? You were listening?"

"Naturally," the tall woman shrugged and Karin fell silent as they walked together.

"Were you looking for me?" she asked at last, curiously, as she looked up at the brunette and the Mizukage gave her a small smile. "Simply to tell you to begin gathering your belongings."

Karin gave her a questioning look and Mei explained further. "We will begin the relocation to my Village, the Mist, tomorrow evening. It would be best for you to be prepared."

"Yes, Mizukage."

"It shall be a long process however," the Mizukage said wearily, "It might even take weeks seeing as we will only be able to send one small group at a time so as not to give away our position." She sighed, "It's dangerous, but it's the best we can do."

They exited the infirmary.

"I must leave you now, child. I have other duties to attend to," the Mizukage said, patting Karin's head affectionately and moving to disappear, but Karin quickly caught her arm. "Wait! Please…" she faltered, realising what she had just done and pulling her arm away like she had just touched something really hot. The woman was a _Kage _after all.

"Yes, what is it, youngling?" The Mizukage asked nonchalantly, flicking a stray strand of hair over her shoulder, completely unperturbed and Karin composed herself quickly.

"Do you know if Suigetsu's okay up there?" she asked nervously, pointing to the ceiling of the cavern and Mei sighed with a sad smile, but shook her head. "I cannot be sure, Child," she said softly, "Guerrilla warfare is unpredictable. They best you can hope for is that the Yamanaka child calls off her forces before _we _have to."

Mei looked the redhead over and said, "I would have sent you up there with him; but I need you here."

"_It's a war. You kill people to win. That's how it works." _ Karin could almost hear Ino say as if the blonde was standing right there with them.

_You kill people to win…_

xxxxxxx

"Lookout, Sakura!" Tenten shouted and Sakura ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding her opponent's blow before gripping the girl's wrist and slamming her viciously onto the ground of the old warehouse, pinning her down by straddling her stomach, sharp canines bared furiously as she brought her fist down.

Night had long since fallen over Manhattan and it was almost morning, and Sakura had lost count of the number of enemy squads she and her teammates had faced. More than half they had confronted had been eliminated, but there were many that had still managed to escape without a trace in order to regroup with others before attacking once again.

Her and her team had met up with Tenten and Neji after hearing their battle from a few blocks away. The two of them had been heavily outnumbered, taking on three squads at once.

Neji dispatched the last of the enemy after Sakura had quickly and cleanly dispatched her own opponent.

_I hate this, _she thought bitterly as she took in the aftermath of the battle, the lifeless bodies gazing coldly at her with their sightless but accusing eyes and the blood, so much blood, all over the floor and walls of the warehouse. _But these people are evil, _Sakura told herself,_ They serve Ino willingly._

"Let's move on so the Cleaners can do their job," Tenten said darkly as she collected her silver knives cleaned the blood off of her silver short-swords, her were clothes ripped and torn from battle and her body tattooed by cuts and bruises. Her brown hair, reaching just past her shoulders, hung loosely out of the two buns she normally wore it in.

"It's half an hour before sunrise," Naruto pointed out seriously and Sakura, scanning her memory for somewhere they could take shelter from the sun's rays, thought back to one of her squad's earlier rendezvous points. "I know where we can hide until sundown."

"Neji and I are gonna head out elsewhere," Tenten said, fastening her knives back onto her belt and strapping her two swords to her back in an 'x' shape. Neji nodded. "Maybe we'll see each other again before we return to base." Tenten appeared at Sakura's side and hugged her tightly. "Stay strong, okay?" she whispered softly and Sakura hugged her back. "I'll be fine," she whispered back before giving the brunette the ghost of a smile.

"Good luck," Naruto nodded to them and Sai did the same before the two brunettes vanished into the labyrinth of buildings outside.

"Let's go."

The rain had stopped and the skies had cleared but they were a mixture of dark pinks and oranges signalling that dawn was breaking and the sunrise was on its way.

It wasn't difficult to find the old motel again and they reached it just as the sun came out and bathed the city in warm, golden light. They moved to the darkest room, devoid of furniture like the rest of the building, furthest away from the windows and that was when Sakura's exhaustion hit her. She could tell by the dark shadows that lined Sai's and Naruto's eyes that they probably felt the same. They sat in a circle in the centre of the room.

"I'm starving," Naruto muttered and Sai nodded tiredly, "I haven't had blood for a while." They looked up at Sakura expectantly and she shrugged, realising she didn't feel anything other than tired. "I'm just… tired," she frowned, surprised because she couldn't remember having eaten anything since two days ago.

"It's part of the Transition," Sai explained, "You're hunger for human food will slowly be replaced with a thirst for blood instead." Sakura sighed and nodded. "Makes sense." Naruto stood and headed for the door. "I'm going out to get some food."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Sakura demanded incredulously, sitting up straight and angling her body to face the blonde who shook his head. "Vampires can't move in the sunlight. And they can't attack me in the public eye of humans either. I'll be fine," he winked and disappeared through the doorway.

"What will _you_ do?" She asked Sai in a low voice and was surprised when he produced a vial of blood hidden in a pack fastened to his belt. "Deer's blood," he explained before uncorking the vial and drinking its contents. Sakura scrunched up her nose when she caught the scent of it and bit her lip when she realised that it smelt almost _appetizing _to her. She felt her canines suddenly sharpen further in her mouth and tasted coppery blood from where they pierced her gums.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Sai questioned with a raised eyebrow, seeing her shocked expression and she shook herself before laughing nervously. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He shrugged, "Okay." and finished the contents of the vial before putting it away again.

Sakura lay down on the hard floor, barely feeling the cold of the concrete, and shut her eyes, the events of the previous day and night finally taking its toll on her.

xxx

"_Hello again, Sakura," Inner Sakura waved down from where she was perched on a suspended plank of wood, the strings it was hanging from disappearing into the endless darkness above the two girls._

_Sakura looked around quickly, realising that she was back in the strange, dark space where she had first met the beautiful and terrifying vampire version of herself. _

"_You have fangs now," she commented casually, her mouth still not moving when she spoke, and a mirror suddenly appeared in front of Sakura who gazed at her reflection, stunned. She looked even more like the girl hanging from the ceiling than she had the last time she had seen her reflection and true to the girl's word, Sakura did indeed have fangs, long and needle-like and incredibly sharp._

_Her eyes, glowing, were solemn and grave, wise and not the eyes of a teenager, no longer the eyes of a human, but, Sakura realised with an elated feeling, she didn't feel different at all. Older and more mature of course, it was to be expected after everything she seen, done and experienced, but not blood-thirsty or crazed for blood._

"_Your real Transitioning has begun," the vampire said mystically and Sakura looked up at her seriously and asked, How long until it's complete? The girl thought about it._

"_I'd give it three days tops," she said at last, "Maybe sooner. Being in a battlefield usually tends to speed up the process."_

_And then I'll be a vampire? Sakura asked breathlessly, her eyes wide and the vampire looked down at her searchingly. "Well that depends." She extended a delicate and slender hand toward Sakura. "When I offer you my hand, will you take it?"_

_Sakura didn't think before she extended her own hand upwards towards the vampire version of herself._

_Yes._

xxxxxxx

_5 Days Later…_

"It's almost been a week and we still haven't learned anything!" Ino screamed at her reflection before bring her fist down and smashing the mirror in front of her. She turned around to face another twenty Inos.

She stood in a room with walls that were completely made of mirrors, built under her orders in the Tsuchikage's mansion, and each one reflected a girl on the brinks of exhaustion and madness. Her eyes were lined with black shadows and dark rings, dark with fury and insanity. Her hair was messy and tangled.

A glass throne stood in the centre of the room and Ino sat in it before screaming, "_Bring me my Council_!"

It wasn't long before the large room was filled with Akatsuki and the rest of her Council, the mirrors multiplying the number of people and making it look as though the room was filled to the brink and Ino smirked with satisfaction, feeling powerful.

"Have we learned of the enemy's location yet?" She demanded testily, her eyes narrowed to deadly slits.

"No," Itachi spat venomously, looking livid, "And because you refused to listen to my warning we've also lost more than _half _our squads out there!"

Ino growled angrily. "I _will _kill you if I must, Itachi," she hissed warningly. "Unless you learn to _hold your tongue_."

"Bullshit," she heard Hidan mutter to Kakazu standing beside him and she screamed, throwing herself off of her throne and bringing Hidan to the ground, landing on his chest and snarling viciously down at him. She was made even angrier when she saw that he wasn't afraid and that the white-haired boy looked arrogantly and fearlessly back up at her, amused by her antics.

"I'll have your _head,_" she snarled and he grinned up at her. "If you say so, princess."

Seeing red, Ino stood and, using one hand, lifted Hidan by the red, cloud-shaped clasp of his cloak. His grin vanished with stunned surprise and Ino smiled nastily before she flung him effortlessly across the room and into one of the mirrors, causing it to smash and rain glass down on Hidan who lay there, looking up at the ceiling with shock.

The room had fallen completely silent and Ino made her way back to her throne.

"Call off the squads," she said in a low voice, looking piercingly down at Itachi who met her gaze calmly. "I hand over all my forces to you then, Itachi," she hissed maliciously, "Seeing as you think you know how to handle them better than I do."

"Hn," he muttered contemptuously before leaving the room, the rest of the Akatsuki following behind him, after Kakazu pulled a bleeding Hidan back onto his feet.

It was only after the room had emptied that Ino stood before her reflection once again.

"The Halfling with be coming here soon enough. Now that I've called off the squads."

The girl in the mirror narrowed her cyan-blue eyes. _And are you ready for her?_

"Of course," Ino sniffed and the girl snarled. _Don't be over-confident, Ino. The Halfling's already made it this far._

"And that's as far as she will go," Ino snarled back. "I know what I'm doing."

The girl sneered nastily with contempt. _Like you knew what you were doing when you lost Sasuke, the Leaf, Karin and now half of your squads?_

"Shut _up!" _Ino shouted before smashing that mirror too and falling onto her knees as the glass rained down around her, cutting her arms and legs.

She gazed down at her bleeding hands blankly.

_I'm waiting, Sakura…_

xxxxxxx

Sakura dangled her legs over the edge of her old apartment building's roof. Her parents had moved away so no one lived there anymore and Sakura closed her eyes as the cool night's breeze moved around her and through her long hair.

Her eyes shot open when she heard of the sound of unfamiliar feet landing on the roof somewhere behind her and she jumped to her feet, ready to fight if need be but ended up cocking her head to the side curiously when she saw Sai and Naruto talking seriously with a tall man she knew worked with Lady Tsunade.

Kakashi Hatake. She was sure that was his name. He was dressed like the rest of Tsunade's ANBU agents, but he had his red and white animal mask hanging from his belt instead of covering his face, not that there was much to cover. He already had a mask covering the bottom half of his face, up until his nose, and the black bandana he wore around his head covered his most of forehead, leaving only his mismatched eyes, one red and one black, and his spiky, white hair visible.

The three males turned their eyes to her before Kakashi vanished, leaving only squad 7 on the roof again.

"What did he want?" Sakura asked curiously, walking over to join the two boys who looked relieved and happier than she had seen them since they had been sent up to the surface. Five days on the battlefield had made her become more like an adult than a sixteen year old; it was like that for all three of them. It was like she had aged years psychologically and emotionally in the space of five days, but she hadn't aged physically at all. And she wouldn't anymore, ever again.

She wasn't the same girl she was before coming to the surface.

"Ino called off her squads," Naruto breathed, sounding completely relieved and Sai smiled genuinely. "Tsunade's calling everyone back."

"We can go back?" Sakura whispered, having to force herself to believe it but the grins on both the boys' face answered her question and she felt her stomach flip with delight.

_We won this round. It's finally over._

xxx

Sakura, Naruto and Sai made their way to the training grounds, the location where all the squads were gathering for medical care and roll call in order to count the number of losses their side had suffered. Sakura had never been so happy to be unground again in her life.

She spotted Suigetsu, looking tired and worn, bloody and battered, but he didn't make a move toward any of the medics so she was sure he was alright. She smiled when Karin ran to him and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay," she heard the redhead whisper, surprised that she could now hear things from so far away, and smiled again when Suigetsu wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet, and spinning the both of them in circles.

"Sakura Haruno!"

Sakura turned in circles, searching for the source of the voice calling her and saw the Mizukage make her way through the crowds of vampires and Druids toward.

"I'm glad you survived, youngling," the tall woman said in a low voice after she had reached her and Sakura bowed her head with respect. "Thank you, Mizukage."

"I came here to tell you something important," Mei said quietly and Sakura felt a tinge of nervousness at the serious tone in the Kage's voice. "What is it?"

The Mizukage's eyes were like two, sharp, emerald-green daggers, and Sakura felt as though they piercing right through her eyes and into her very soul, if she still had one.

"Sasuke Uchiha is awake."


End file.
